Welcome back, friends! Our guest this week is my delightful financial advisor, Colin Caldarera!
Colin is a ray of sunshine in a suit. Or a sweater. Or a band uniform. Regardless of the garment, Colin’s sunny disposition always shines through.
Colin has been in my corner for three years. In that time, he has built up my economic lexicon. He has set me up for future financial security. And, most importantly, he has thoughtfully sent me adorable birthday and Christmas cards each year that we’ve been friends.
We met in a sort of espionage-esque way1. Through a mutual friend, Colin and I scheduled my initial financial consultation at his suburban-skyscraper-office-atop-a-hill. On this quest, I gathered my scrolls of budgeting, I braved the Atlanta traffic, and I scaled the building up to his floor, to which I had to take two elevators to reach.
Colin greeted me with pleasantries but soon spoke in tongues when he launched into his personal finance PowerPoint. He nodded and smiled throughout, though, so I nodded and smiled as well. I think I held my ground.
The meeting wound up going very well, and I came out of it with a shiny, new Roth IRA and a couple of other exciting financial prospects. I also came out of it a little more financially literate and a little more assured that I was capable of being a Functioning Human™.
Admittedly, I was quite skeptical embarking on this financial counseling journey. I had no financial education and absolutely no understanding of the stock market, so I knew that I was prime swindling material. It also didn’t help that my perception of financial professionals was purely influenced by Lyle, the sleazy insurance sales-otter from Animal Crossing.
Needless to say, my skeptical, stubborn self was greatly in need of financial counsel, and I am forever grateful that Colin was patient enough to provide it.
Three years later, I found myself wanting to confide in Colin about my pursuits of positive chaos. I was a titch nervous about having to explain that I was planning to pass up on a lifestyle of stable financial growth to live as if I was retired with no real income in sight. I also felt a lot of guilt for relying on my projected 2021 tax returns as part of my income for 2022.
Colin and I met for coffee, and I came in arms-down, ready to admit my financial faux pas. But every time I was sure I was going to be politely chastised, I was met with open arms and supportive inquiry. We had a delightful conversation, and it assured me of two things:
I missed meaningful, long-form conversation &
My interests and ideas are worth pursuing
I noticed that I had a strong case of the zoomies after our coffee-date, and I think it was only partially because of the caffeine. I think that surrounding yourself with people who genuinely want the best for you and want to see you succeed is energizing.
So, I’ve been paying attention to my energy levels and to the activities that I’ve been up to and to the people who I’ve been spending time with. It should be no surprise that I feel the most attuned to my endeavors when I not only can do the things I want to do but can share my experiences with people who are excited for me and are invested in my journey.
It is refreshing to know that investment can be more than financial. I think a worthy investment is determined both by the time devoted to it and by the energy gained from the time devoted. By these measures, my quest to find fulfillment is totally worth investing in:
My physical training is worth investing in.
My companions are worth investing in.
My creativity is worth investing in.
My mind is worth investing in.
I am worth investing in.
It is a noble pursuit to invest in oneself. It is also a pursuit that often gets overlooked. I hope that you, dear Reader, have at least one source of energy and joy to which you can devote yourself. And if not, you should invest more in yourself because you, too, are a worthy investment.
You can follow Colin, and all of his financial endeavors, on LinkedIn and on Instagram @ccaldarera1.
Referenced people and materials:
“How to Buy Happiness” (Article referencing wealth/happiness study)
All music for the podcast lovingly created by Ian T. Jones.
It is quite possible that only I felt like a spy at this meeting.
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