Quick! Think of one thing you know now that you did not know this month last year? Feel free to share your answer with me here. (Click "Recent Discoveries" in my "Top Five" for my answers.)

Who am I? I'm Shamontiel, a freelance editor, writer and fact-checker. I start each morning walking my unemployed security guard. Post-walk, I grudgingly do at least 15 minutes of Pilates or weight training, then enjoy 10 minutes of morning meditation. I prioritize plant-based cooking (21-year vegetarian) while I dive into the latest trends in politics, news and culture.

​Then, it's time to grind. Even though my bachelor's degree is in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing and I loathe math, I've somehow always had at least one or two clients in the financial literacy, stocks, retirement plans, real estate investing, insurance or money management industries. I suppose three decades of seasonal work at a credit union discredited my "English major, I don't do math" protest. Math keeps chasing me around!

​What am I writing about when I'm not fact-checking, editing and writing content about money? Just about everything! Check out some of my posts (below) and my top five.

MOST RECENT SUBSTACK POSTS

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Photo credit: ChatGPT Photo Generator
1. BLACK GIRL IN A DOGGONE WORLD™: Does your mosquito repellent put your dog at risk? ~ Don't let mosquitoes ruin summer nights and autumn walks with your dog

2. I DO SEE COLOR: The challenge of the kind-hearted racist: Why it’s so easy for some to dismiss their attacks ~ The gaslighter will make you believe the racism is all in your imagination

3. BLACK GIRL IN A DOGGONE WORLD™: Boil-water advisory in your neighborhood? ~ Don’t forget about your dog Keeping your pet safe when sink water isn’t safe to consume

4. I DO SEE COLOR: Don’t only be opposed to racism when it’s Trump doing it ~ If you’re the Black person in your crew who shrugs off racism anytime it’s not Trump, you’re also responsible for this current presidency

5. BLACKTECHLOGY: Is GPS on smartphones making us dumb drivers? ~ How did I go from being a map-holding road tripper to being so dependent on GPS navigation?
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Photo credit: ChatGPT Photo Generator
6. AAC-PACK: Holding tight to old friendships and making new ones in your 40s ~ Why friendships get harder to build and maintain once people are middle-aged

7. I DO SEE COLOR: Would you opt out of having a Black man as a massage therapist or other common jobs women do? ~ Why I’m 50/50 on the masseur discussion on Marc Lamont Hill’s podcast “In This Thing Together”

8. BLACK GIRL IN A DOGGONE WORLD™: Black dog owners deserve to see themselves in pet advertising ~ Seeing Black people in dog ads could build exposure and decrease stereotypes about Black dog owners

9. HOMEGROWN TALES: Is privacy overrated with blackout blinds? ~  5 reasons blackout blinds may affect a homeowner’s mood in the worst way

10. I DO SEE COLOR: Is it healthy to make sure the bully doesn't get the last laugh? ~ Why I’m co-signing the Harris Family Jump so hard against 50 Cent