About
About Shrewd + Beatific
Hi guys! Welcome to Shrewd + Beatific, a website that aims to edify urban Christian women. Launched in 2016 as an act of obedience to God, I finally gave into the prompting of my heart and decided to share what I’ve learned about career, personal finances, and relationships. I truly believe that I am a vessel for His Kingdom and I want to pour out everything I have for the benefit of inspiring, informing, and uplifting others.
Let's back up for a second. I know what you're thinking.. shrewd and what? It's pronounced bee·eh·ti·fik and means "blissfully happy" (or "imparting holy bliss", if you're partial to Christian theology). It's also the same root word as beatitude, which I think is a pretty fun association.
Why Career?
I find true joy in unearthing and affirming other people’s passions and talents, coaching those climbing the corporate ladder, and helping craft a career worth “leaning in” to. I believe that God has equipped each of us with specific skills that allow us to be uniquely qualified to add value in our respective workplaces.
As an example: God has entrusted me with a visionary and analytical mind and a tenacious and intense spirit. After years of not only neglecting these truths but perceiving them as something to be ashamed of, I am now convinced that I was created specifically to use these gifts to help others think outside the box. My career dream is to empower women to go after their Kingdom-size dreams and, because I try to always lead by example, I created this space to get this party started!
Why Finances?
Honestly, this one comes down to my belief that knowledge is power. And while that is not a biblical construct, it’s certainly one that I believe is essential to us living our most powerful lives for the Kingdom (are you noticing a theme here?). As such, I have fervently researched all things that initially appeared incomprehensible to me. 401ks? Check. Investing? Check. Taxes? Check.
Rather than becoming an expert, the goal here is to know enough to be dangerous. In my world, being dangerous means learning the basics, getting comfortable around owning our own finances, and, most importantly, knowing what you don’t know (which is vastly different than knowing you know nothing at all).
Why Relationships?
Everything is relational. It is the foundation of our entire livelihood. When it’s healthy and good, it all just functions better. When it’s broken, the underpinnings decay in such a way that often results in long-term and, sometimes, permanent damage.
Truth be told, I used to be pretty terrible at relationships, but God has grown and healed me so much in this area that I’d be remiss not to honor Him by sharing the tough lessons and hard-won victories from my own life.
About Me
This is where you head to learn exactly who I am and what I’m all about. So let’s jump into it, shall we?
I was born in Washington state, grew up in the Garden state, went to college in the Midwest, and currently live in cozy neighborhood called “the West Village” in the Big Apple.
I use italics more than socially acceptable. I drink tea almost exclusively – primarily earl grey – and have had an apple with peanut butter on the regular for more than a decade.
I find the color gray to be peaceful, geometric patterns to be stimulating and pops of color to be fun. I oscillate between routine and spontaneity.
If you haven’t already guessed, I enjoy a good repartee (and will attempt to do it one-sidedly) and love the Lord with all of my heart, soul, and mind. I aspire to live generously and abundantly and to be deeply rooted and uninhibitedly adventurous.
Thank you for taking the road less travelled with me. I am so excited to go on this journey with y'all.
Important Caveat
One thing I want to make perfectly clear: I am not a professional. Yes, I love to learn and might sound like I know what I’m talking about, that’s part of my charm. Nonetheless, I am writing specifically because I am an amateur and a work in progress.
With regards to my career, I am in the trenches cultivating it right alongside the rest of you. There will be triumphs, setbacks, and everything in between. While my interest in personal finances has allowed me to avoid some common pitfalls, it does not mean that I have it all together. Being wise, if I may be so bold, means that I know what to do when I stumble and fall rather than never making mistakes at all. In terms of relationships, I celebrate health and well being because I explicitly know what it feels like when things are not functioning the way God intended.
nota bene: In the process of writing this, I just had to confirm the source of “knowledge is power” and, as such, also must share my findings with you! It comes from “scientia potentia ets” in Latin and first appeared in 1668 in a work by Thomas Hobbes, who was the secretary of the person it is commonly attributed to: Sir Francis Bacon! For those of you that don’t remember middle school, he is the father of empiricism (read: inductive reasoning). Thank you, Wikipedia.
n.b. My 8th grade Language Arts teacher used to use “nota bene” (also Latin), which means “take special notice”. She passed away from cancer in 2008 and I’ve decided to use n.b. in her honor on the site going forward. Thank you for always trying to make me better, even when I resented it!