Finding Your Alpha After You've Made It

Last Friday was not a particularly good day.

I went to Pigskin Picnic at Westminster. Henry didn't really want me there.

I looked around at all the younger kids and parents and wondered,

What am I doing here?

Earlier that week, a longtime client had passed away.

The call telling me the news came from a nephew who wasn't particularly kind.

By Saturday, I felt empty.

- I could learn to play golf.

- I could go shopping.

- I could find another hobby.

- I could certainly find more work to do.

But I've learned that when I feel this way, I need to unpack it rather than fill it.

So I went on a run, and

I realized something uncomfortable:

Fear has been an incredibly effective motivator for most of my life.

I grew up terrified that I might someday end up like my mother:

alone, without enough money, living somewhere I didn't want to live.

So I worked. And worked.

Wall Street. Investing.

Building a business.

Raising children.

Saving. Taking risks.

Getting back up.

Some combination of luck, hard work, the stock market and agency got me farther than that scared little girl ever imagined.

But here's the problem with fear as fuel:

What happens when you finally outrun the thing you were afraid of?

You need a new reason to run.

Simon Sinek calls it finding your why.

I think I've known mine for a while.

I've just been avoiding it.

I want women to understand the rules and value of capitalism—not just the math,

but how leverage, compounding and agency can help us navigate life.

A career compounds.

Relationships compound.

Reputation compounds.

Small decisions compound.

Mistakes and failure suck, but there are gifts in those lessons.

And understanding where you have leverage

—and where you don't

—can be the difference between reacting to your life and actually designing it.

That may be the most valuable thing Wall Street taught me.

Later that weekend, Rich and I watched the final season of Mad Men.

Don Draper spends his life acquiring the things that are supposed to make him whole

—- status, women, houses, cars, success.

And then he starts giving things away.

The identity that carried him this far can no longer take him where he needs to go.

Maybe that's what happens to us, too.

We spend the first half of our lives accumulating: money, credentials, possessions, accomplishments, identities.

Then the kids start leaving home.

The striving quiets down a little.

And we're left with a much harder question:

What was all of it for?

Maybe the next chapter isn't about accumulating more.

Maybe it's about giving away what we've learned.

I think I've finally figured out mine:

Take what I've learned about money, markets, risk and agency

—and give it away.

Maybe that's my alpha.

If you know of contacts/Presidents of business clubs,

women's groups at colleges whom I can reach out to speak,

please let me know!!!

Tiffany Kent

Your Friendly Wealth Engagement Guide

Disclosures: Past performance is not indicative of future results. This material is not financial advice or an offer to sell any product. The information contained herein should not be considered a recommendation to purchase or sell any particular security. Forward-looking statements cannot be guaranteed.

This commentary offers generalized research, not personalized investment advice. It is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a complete description of our investment services or performance. Nothing in this commentary should be interpreted to state or imply that past results are an indication of future investment returns. All investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to consult with an investment & tax professional before implementing any investment strategy. Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible. Wealth Engagement LLC is a registered investment adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training.