In my 20s, I was fiercely independent, often to my detriment.
I believed no one cared about me, a sentiment rooted in my childhood experiences.
When parents are divorced, they are usually stressed,
fighting with each other, and
sometimes ignoring the child.
This independent mindset followed me into my professional life,
where I felt isolated in large companies.
I kept to myself, avoiding connections and interactions,
convinced that my bosses and colleagues had no interest in my well-being.
Just another cog in the machine.
As a woman aspiring to succeed on Wall Street,
finding a mentor seemed like an unattainable goal.
At Credit Suisse, I was surrounded by men, and
at Goldman Sachs, although a mentor was assigned to me,
we failed to form a meaningful connection.
These experiences further entrenched my belief in self-reliance and detachment.
However, a simple yet powerful piece of wisdom I encountered in the book
"One Up on Wall Street" by John Rothchild and Peter Lynch changed everything for me.
This book transformed my outlook and my career.
My copy of the book is old and yellow like gold.
But Peter’s advice has helped me tremendously over the last 30 years.
- Look at the world around you to find investment ideas and inspiration in everyday experiences.
- Be curious.
This is how Peter Lynch became such a famous investor.
He beat the big guys sitting in tall buildings who had strong networks just by going shopping with his wife and being curious about brands and companies.
When asked in my first hedge fund job interview in 2003, how do I find investment ideas, I said to my future boss, I like to look at the world around me and find ideas.
I almost got the job on the spot.
This is how I discovered and was early in finding many ideas (which I can't list here because of compliance) way before they became the household names that they are today.
This approach has resonated deeply with me and others I've shared it with.
It's nice to have mentors, but when you don't have one - look to books and be curious.
I’m continuing to be early and curious.
I will turn this blog into a video that I hope to inspire more women to become investors,
to be curious about the world around them
and so they can make their Mark!
My big idea for 2024 is my mission, which is to make finance and investing more inspirational and more interesting to learn about,
just like Peter Lynch did with One Up on Wall Street.
Get more engaged with planning and your wealth so you can be opportunistic!
Reach out in the new year!
Thank you for reading!
Tiffany Kent
Your Friendly Wealth Engagement Guide,
Empowering you to take control of your future!
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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.