This episode will conclude our content for Balance Academy as we share our takeaways, learning experiences, and next steps going forward!

To all those who have watched us on YouTube or listened to our podcast over the past year, we are extremely GRATEFUL for your support! We never could have gotten this far if it weren't for the support and motivation we received from others, so thank you for everything you've done to help support our channel/podcast.

While our content may be over, our merch is still hot and ready for sale! Head to our website at balance-academy.net to pick yourself out a new shirt or hoodie.

Again thank you to everyone who watched and listened to Balance Academy, and keep working hard on your own journey toward balance, because it's a lifelong process! Peace out!

On this week's episode, we talk about the major jump in Bitcoin due to Tesla's $1.5 billion purchase earlier this week. 

Major news: one of our creators, Enrique, tossed a significant amount of his money toward the surging cryptocurrency. We encourage you to get into Bitcoin if you have the money to do so, even if it's just a little bit.  

Bitcoin can be somewhat risky and volatile, but buying it can also be a great way to diversify your investment portfolio as you try to meet your big financial goals, which is the second part of this episode.  

We each go through our own financial and career goals in 5 years and discuss our future business goals as well. Check it out!  

#balance #bitcoin #finance #goals 

Please like and subscribe to our podcast, and check out our main channel Balance Academy for video content!  For more information, be sure to head to our website at balance-academy.net.

On this week's episode of the podcast, we talk about the most recent financial event that has affected both Wall Street and investors everywhere: the GameStop short.  

We give a bit of background of what actually happened that made GameStop stock soar for a short period of time, causing others in its industry like AMC or Nokia to suffer dramatically. GameStop's stock price has since gone down significantly.   

The big question then is: who will come out on top in the stock market: Wall Street or individual investors?  

For the second part of this episode, we give some preliminary advice for getting into the stock market and investing. We highly recommend you start your investing journey early using index funds or mutual funds from institutions like Charles Schwab or Fidelity. These are primarily aimed at consistent growth with low to medium levels of risk.  

If you want to get more involved in things like day trading, we really suggest that you first do your research. Figure out and understand on a deep level how the market works, especially for specific stocks. You can use online simulators and invest fake money to kind of see how the process works. Check this one out: https://www.investopedia.com/simulator/.  

Thanks for tuning in this week, come back every Wednesday afternoon for new episodes! Please like and subscribe to our podcast, and check out our main channel Balance Academy for video content!  

For more information, be sure to head to our website at balance-academy.net. You can find our merch there as well!

In this episode, we each go through a personality test created by 16Personalities to find out more about ourselves! Follow along with us in the podcast if you'd like to take the test as well! 

Here is the link to follow along: https://www.16personalities.com/ 

This test contains 60 questions, and you can answer along a scale ranging from "Strongly Agree" to "Strongly Disagree." At the end of the test, you will get a 5-letter personality type assigned to you based on your answers.  

Each letter corresponds to a certain category or personality trait: 

1. Mind - this trait is about how you interact with the environment around you. You will either be Extroverted(E) or Introverted(I). 

2. Energy - where do you direct your mental energy? You can get either Intuitive(N) or Observant(S). 

3. Nature - how do you make decisions? Are you usually Thinking(T) or Feeling(F)? 

4. Tactics - how do you approach things? Are you Judging(J) or Perceiving(P)? 

5. Identity - how confident are you in yourself and your decisions? Are you Assertive(A) or Turbulent(T)?  

The 16Personalities site gives a ton of info about which of these traits you have and how much you lean toward each one. It also offers lots of details about possible career paths, romantic relationships, strengths, weaknesses, and workplace habits for your personality type.  

Now you might be saying, "usually these tests are all fake and aren't accurate at all." While that may be true for some, this test is very reliable from our experience taking it multiple times and can offer some really good ideas for personal growth and improvement (it was actually scary accurate for a couple of us).  

We highly recommend you check this test out and read your results, they can really be helpful in your journey toward balance! 

#balance #personality #16personalities #development 

Please like and subscribe to our podcast on YouTube, and check out our main channel Balance Academy for video content!  For more information, be sure to head to our website at balance-academy.net.

Want to budget your money and save for the future? Tune into this week's podcast episode to find easy ways to do that even without a steady income stream!  

In this episode, Lavran and Andrew talk about different methods of budgeting and saving for long-term financial goals such as a major purchase like a house or even longer off like retirement. It is important to budget your money no matter your job, income level, or age.  You might be asking, "how do I get started?" We recommend trying to assign a set percentage of your monthly income to various savings areas (emergency fund, retirement account, etc.). Additionally, you want to budget a percentage of your income toward your common expenses. These include things like rent, food, electric, phone, utilities, and much more depending on your lifestyle choices.  

It's smart to set realistic percentages for each of these expenses, but try to push yourself to spend less and save more as we enter into this new year. You'll find that it's actually pretty easy to cut down on things like groceries or subscriptions if you budget your money well and stick to it.  

Now this all sounds pretty daunting, but make sure you keep it fun! Give yourself some space to spend money on things you enjoy doing, whether it's going to see a show (COVID dependent), eating at a restaurant with friends, or other activities. Put fun into your budget, especially if you're trying to go on a family vacation in the near future. You can have the balance between your critical expenses and your fun ones.  

If you're new to budgeting or haven't done it in a while, it's as simple as making a spreadsheet and playing around with some numbers. Come up with a plan that works for you, stick to it, and see the positive results come through over the course of this year.  

Thanks for watching, be sure to like and subscribe if you haven't already, and happy budgeting!  

App to consider: YNAB  

Find more info at www.balance-academy.net. Check out our merch there!

2020 is almost over, and it's time to look forward to the new year, 2021! Obviously 2020 was not the year anyone expected, especially due to the COVID pandemic combined with political and social unrest around the world. But, there were still some highlights, and it's important to remember the good things that happened as we transition into a new year.  

Our advice? Use 2020 as a learning experience so that you can continue to BETTER YOURSELF and GROW into 2021. You have an opportunity to become a better and more balanced individual in the coming year. This can take many forms, which is why it is critical to SET GOALS for yourself to help track your progress throughout the year.  

Creating goals and sticking to them can help you in all areas of your life, and they are a great personal development method that can bring you fulfillment in your individual accomplishments. So, what do good goals, or RESOLUTIONS, look like?  

Goals need to be specific, challenging, and realistic. We recommend taking the first few days of 2021 doing a personal inventory of your life. Where are you right now? Physically? Emotionally? In your relationships? Financially? Knowing your starting point helps you create a more specific and realizable ending point.   

Once you've done that, now you can set some goals for yourself. Make sure to challenge yourself but at the same time recognize your current situation. For example, if you have a goal to workout four times per week, are you currently working out, or has it been a long time? Recognizing your current situation will allow you to see the challenge ahead of you.  

Now, we are definitely not discouraging setting lofty goals, just make sure they are realistic for what you want for yourself! Goals can be both short term and long term, so you can always set goals with a longer horizon if they are more lofty.

Goal setting can be a huge part of your 2021 in your personal growth journey to become more balanced!  

Remember to like, share, and subscribe to our channel! We really appreciate the support!   

Find more info at www.balance-academy.net. Click the link to our store to see our fresh merch!  

#newyears #2021 #resolutions #goalsetting

The holidays are here, 2020 is almost over! Know what that means? It's time to celebrate!  

On this week's podcast, we talk about our plans for the holidays and give some tips on how to stay safe and have fun with friends and family during this great time of the year.  In case you're still trying to make some last minute plans with your family, here are a couple ideas:            

- Try to connect with friends and family as much as possible if you're able. Zoom may not feel like the best option, but it can still be an enjoyable way to catch up and reconnect.            

- Continue your Christmas traditions like a gift exchange or white elephant, just virtually this time around. You can still all have a good time even if you may not get your gift right away.           

 - Create a competition between sides of the family. Who can work a jigsaw puzzle the fastest? Who's the best at trivia?   

Most of all, please remember to STAY SAFE during this season and look out for those who are at risk with COVID. Just be smart in your decisions and everyone can still have a great holiday celebration!  We at Balance Academy wish you all a merry Christmas and happy holidays!  

Music: O Holy Night (Prog Rock Version) - Surreal Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano

In this episode, we discuss our own core values and reasons why values are important in life. Knowing and sticking to your values can help a lot in making tough decisions, handling relationships, building consistent habits, and managing your finances. Tune in to hear more about core values and the critical role they play in life balance.

For more info, check out our website at balance-academy.net. Thanks for your support!

In this podcast, we dive into the topic of stress management. Managing your stress levels is so key to your overall emotional, mental, and physical well-being, and can help you make better decisions in your relationships or finances. 2020 has been a very stressful year for all of us, so hear some of our easy tips to reduce your stress and increase your emotional balance! 

Thank you for the support of our podcast! For more info about Balance Academy, check us out at balance-academy.net.

In this episode, we offer several tips for anyone who is currently or going to be working from home for their job. Developing good habits can be tricky, so give this a listen to learn more about staying consistent and keeping yourself on track while working from home!

Thank you for supporting our podcast! Please be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and share this episode with anyone you think may enjoy it! Check out our website at balance-academy.net for more info.