Employee Stock 101: Get to Know Your Options

When you think about your benefits package as an employee, you might think about health insurance, 401k, or paid time off. But some employers offer an additional benefit to their employees in the form of equity in the company. 

Many companies — particularly startups or scale-ups — will offer stock options as part of your overall compensation package to recruit and retain top talent. The idea behind offering company equity is that you will essentially share in the company’s success, and will have the potential to sell your shares one day for a little (or a lot of) money. 

For public companies (i.e., those trading on the stock exchange), equity is typically offered to employees in the form of a discount on their stock. Private companies are owned by a group of individuals, like the company’s founders and/or private investors, and the stock can’t be traded publicly.

For this article, we’ll focus primarily on private companies and what to expect when you’re granted stock options as an employee.

First Job Out of College? Time to Start Investing

Whether you’re a recent grad or have already been in the workforce for a few years, it’s never too early or too late to start investing in your financial future. The sooner you get started, the easier it will be to achieve your financial goals and build a comfy nest egg for your later years. 

While you may already have some level of understanding of the different investment options available to you, making the big decision to hand over some of your own hard-earned money can be intimidating — and more than a little confusing. 

To simplify things, let’s dip our toes into the investment basics, then we’ll point you to some trusted resources for a deeper dive. 

Life on the Frontlines with Caitey Sosnowski

Frontline workers experienced life on the frontlines with COVID-19 differently than most, but we rarely hear their stories. Caitey Sosnowski, a floor nurse at a Midwest Hospital, joins the show today to walk us through her harrowing experience with the pandemic, from patient care to PPE to end of life decisions to personal mental health. She hopes this will encourage other nurses to use their voice and share their stories, too.

After graduating from St. Mary’s College with a BSN, Caitey Sosnowski started working as a nurse at a Midwest Hospital in August 2019. Caitey pursued nursing because it just seemed right, she always knew being a nurse was what was meant for her life.

Food Fit For The Princes with Neltonia and Jordan Prince

Check out today’s episode to learn more about blogging with Neltonia and Jordan Prince from @foodfitfortheprinces. They share homecooked recipes, restaurant hot spots, and product reviews through their Instagram blog. Learn how they grew this hobby into a brand with more than 10,000 followers. You’ll need a snack after this one!

Neltonia Prince is an East Carolina University alumna and member of the Eta Omicron Chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi. Neltonia serves as the Triangle Section Director. She and her husband, Jordan Prince, started their blog Food Fit For The Princes in January of 2018. The blog was formed from Neltonia’s love of cooking and their love of eating and trying new foods. In their professional careers, the pair works for the City of Raleigh in the accounting department and Planning & Development.