words of advice

Susan Hopkins, 41, lawyer and activist

Start investing in an IRA in a sound mutual fund as soon as possible. The longer you have it, the more the your interest works for you. Even if you only put away a little money each year, just do it!

Susan Hopkins represents low-income immigrants in political asylum and family-based immigration issues [She shares an office with a financial planner].

Tavia Gilbert, 30, artist and entrepreneur

Look at who is doing work you love, and then ask them to sit with you for lunch or coffee and have an organized list of questions to ask. Take notes.  Research and pay attention.  And, at the same time, remember that the gift of time is huge, and give whatever you can in exchange for that precious gift.  Buy lunch or coffee.  Volunteer for them for an hour.  Offer whatever you have.  Even if the offer is refused, it will make the person feel great that you understand that an hour of time has a tremendous value.

Save money.  Save no less than 10% of every paycheck.  I wish, oh, how I wish, that I had something to show for the years of work I put in at the law firm, but I don't, because I was immature and naive and didn't attend to financial management as I should have.  Do not make this mistake.

Even though non-profits often see themselves as no-profits, they are non-profit businesses.  It's a tax category, and shouldn't be a state of mind.  If you want to succeed in the non-profit world, understand that you are a business, as any other for-profit business is a business.  So learn about business.  Embrace it.  Make money.  Support yourself.  Don't shun financial security, benefits, health insurance, savings, and monetary success.  Don't turn your back on all the things that enable businesses to be successful.  Don't hate marketing just because you don't understand it.  Learn about goal setting, long-term planning, budgeting, and all the rest.  And then apply the knowledge how ever you like.  Embrace the middle class.  Be the middle class. This is important.  Middle class means a healthy democracy.  So define yourself, build yourself, create yourself, but don't strive for tremendous wealth or romanticize poverty.  There's nothing romantic about being a starving anything.

And finally, know that anything is possible.  You can create anything, build yourself into anything, make yourself into anything.  Luck only plays a little role when you prime yourself for receiving luck.  Being in the right place at the right time is a result of preparation.  No one is going to swoop in and recognize your brilliance and make your life and your way.  Make decisions.  Dream and then implement.   When you're prepared for luck, then luck will happen.

Tavia Gilbert is a voice, stage, and film actor. She heads TG Communications. She is also a business owner and an educator. She is based in Portland, Maine.