By Jackie Jones

We’ve been told that it’s a scary world out there. Labor Department figures show that unemployment, overall, stood at 9.7 percent in August and was 15.1 percent for black people. Black families began losing ground about three years before the recession began.

But one financial expert is opting out of recession-related woes.

In the September issue of Black Enterprise magazine, Chris Gardner, financial adviser, founder of investment firm Gardner Rich and author of The Pursuit of Happyness, which was made into a movie starring Will Smith, said he was not giving in to recessionary thinking.

“One of the most important decisions I made this year was that as an organization, we were not going to participate in the recession. We absolutely refuse to.”

Gardner isn’t in denial. He’s well aware of the recession. Some of his customers have seen as much as half of their assets under management cut in half. “But we are not getting involved in this massive panic about the economy,” Gardner said. “This is what we are going to do: Stay real focused on our core business. We are going to continue to invest in the technology we need to add value and service to our customers. And this is probably the best time for a small shop like ours to add talent.”

That means he is hiring, but he said he doesn’t want just anybody looking for a job.

“I’m looking for people who want an opportunity to help build a business. Gardner Rich is a brand. Right now we are all about content.”

In other words, he is looking for people who believe they have something to offer and that they can work hard enough and smart enough to make a contribution to his firm.

What can we do to survive bumpy economic times? A recent study by Brandeis University’s Institute on Assets and Social Policy reports that just 26 percent of African- American middle-income families are securely in place and that one in three black middle-class households are at high risk for slipping out of that category.

Job loss, downsizing, frozen credit all threaten to weigh us down, even if we’re still working, but you don’t have to be paralyzed by fear and uncertainty.

The bottom line is you need a plan.

First of all, take inventory. How much do you need each month to make ends meet? If you can pay the bills, but aren’t saving money, you should cut expenses or bring in more revenue. The rule of thumb used that you should have six to eight months of income saved in case of emergency has been revised upwards to 12 months.

Wash your own car, do your own nails, eat out less, have the cleaning lady come less often, find a part-time job and/or use your skills to make some extra money. Sell baked goods, have a yard sale, teach folks how to sew/knit/crochet/cook, mow lawns, fix cars, do whatever you know folks will pay for.

Delay major purchases that don’t have to be made this year. Do you really need a new car? What about that big screen TV or new sound system? Can you postpone that major vacation for a year?

Do your homework, too, before making purchases, big and small. When you jump in the car to run an errand or go shopping to catch a sale, see how much you can get done in the same area in one trip. Factor in the cost of gasoline and your time and compare it against the purchase savings. Use coupons and comparison shop. All sales are not equal. Invest in software or keep a ledger to track your spending.

In the same way, take inventory of what you have going for you professionally and how to make it work for you. Become the go-to person for something of value in your organization.

Know your employer’s goals and values and what you can do to meet them. It’s important to work hard, but it’s more important to work smart. If you are producing work that is not valued in your workplace, then you must decide whether you want to remain in that organization and if so what you need to do to make that happen.

Know that every experience counts. You may currently be in a role that is not your dream job, but the most successful people understand how every role in the organization contributes to the bottom line. Each new job is one more skill that adds to your marketability.

If you apply for a job or a promotion and don’t get it, find out why. Learn what the employer is looking for in a candidate. Ask questions; prepare yourself to be what you want to be. Don’t be scared off, either, by the laundry list of skills that employers put in job descriptions. That usually is nothing more than a wish list and some skills that you possess that were not listed might even compensate for some post-graduate education or a specific skill.

Whatever you decide to do, be prepared for change or get help to figure out how to do it. You can manage the change or let it manage you. Through it all, your thinking will carry the day.

Everyone loves a winner. Make sure you have a winning attitude.

Jackie Jones is a career and fitness coach for those who want to get their lives in shape.