Dear readers, on Monday last week, The Royal Gazette team launched Moneywise’s initial finance book written and designed specifically for Bermuda islanders’ unique economic environment.

Moneywise profusely thanks Michael DeCouto, executive vice-president, chief digital and marketing officer at Clarien Bank, for sponsoring a number of chapter steps of this book.

Further thank yous and the appreciation for the entire design team at The Royal Gazette, headed by Michael Grier, commercial director and Nikeisha Burrows, creative director.

Readers, I may not have caught all link corrections during the ever-changing internet. Please write to me if you find one that does not work, at martha.myron@gmail.com

The Dawn of New Beginnings; Your Personal Back-To-Basics Financial Review to Dramatically Improve Your Lifestyle is the first of eight digital books under The Bermuda Islander Fundamental Financial Planning Primer series.

Dawn of New Beginnings is an overview, less detailed than each of the finance topic books to follow, and is composed of 18 steps, highlighted for you, the reader, review your current finances. The book is free and can be read online or mobile. Future planning is to issue the entire book in downloadable / printable format.

Writing the entire collection of books has been a long-held mission. I’ve been so fortunate to be able to draw upon 30 years of materials in professional practice, the expertise and experiences of wonderful colleagues at various local Bermuda institutions and the continuing support of readers of The Royal Gazette. Juxtaposed throughout book one is a dedication to our legendary Bermuda pilots and references, photos, and commentary on our proud survivalist marine heritage, as well as interviews with Bermuda islanders in finance, and related commercial industries.

Amazingly prescient, the first financial review was coincidentally launched within the context of Covid-19, this precedent-setting pandemic where individuals and their families’ concerns for their health and finances are at top of mind.

Step One and further: Building Your Brand and Valuing Yourself is located in the business menu under Bermuda Islander https://www.royalgazette.com/bermuda-islander/.

Now, some thoughts on Step One: Becoming a Brand and Valuing Yourself – except that I’d like to apply the concept of valuing ourselves to valuing our country of Bermuda.

Do we really value how unique this place is? Bermuda has had over its 400-year history some amazing successes, displaying the innovation and adaptability to change in surviving onslaughts of all kinds, physical, natural and almost ethereal in our continued emphasis on being relevant and successful in each economic challenge. As a friend stated: “In the worst of times, we were seeing the best of our collective stability, strength, and sense of community.”

Consider how our community comes together during every difficult time: hurricanes, resident needs, social celebrations and now Covid-19. Bermuda is successfully containing this pandemic. We are a strong example of community spirit, sacrifice, and determination. Bermuda stands in stark contrast to the United States where far too many communities are seeing increases in positive contagion, hospitalisation, and mortality rates with, it appears, little end in sight.

Why have we done so well?

Our leadership took this challenge early and seriously, choosing to protect lives – at a great cost, to be sure, but it could certainly be said that the outcome is the best – albeit under economically painful circumstances for so many.

Now, possibly, the biggest challenge is ahead of our community: vital commerce, full employment, happy consumers, happy visitors and maintaining our health.

Resetting our country mindset; valuing our country; promoting and hyping our country’s assets, each and everyone of us, not just the Tourism Authority, and the Business Development Team.

Use your imagination. Feature this amazing place on your social media outlets, write about it, frequently and positively. Tell the world!

We have proven time and again that we can survive hurricanes, and now Covid-19, united in joint recovery efforts.

Now, we need to take up the challenge as a community to revitalise our economy.

We can proudly tout our highly-developed, well-earned reputation for sophisticated financial instruments unheard of for a “like-size place” elsewhere, not even including such a phenomenon as a stock exchange!

Moneywise has emphasised on occasion what this environment comparison means in a somewhat simplistic fashion.

So, readers and Bermuda islanders all, I leave you with this little comparison chart against the infrastructure of a small town in one of our northern neighbours, population, estimated 65,000, and Bermuda.

The chart lists just some of the amazing attributes and commercial successes that Bermuda has developed in achieving international success. No small town in our northern neighbours can boast all of these achievements. Some, maybe but not all.

See how many more attributes you can come up with.

Bermuda (and our community) is special, unique, innovative and tremendous value within its sphere of influence.

Martha Harris Myron, CPA JSM, a native Bermudian, is creator of Pondstraddler Life™ Financial Perspectives, international financial consultant to the Olderhood Group International Ltd Bermuda, and financial columnist to The Royal Gazette, Bermuda. All proceeds from these articles are donated by The Royal Gazette to the Salvation Army, Bermuda. Contact here at martha.myron@gmail.com