Funds and Lack Thereof
Since experiencing a quiet but imposed push-out of the system of higher education - I have spent many hours job searching and learning about different systems of business. As I dove into the job search, I came to find a lot of really interesting opportunities that I wouldn’t have imagined existed. There were so many positions out there in for-profit, non-profit, and corporate settings that sometimes mirrored each other. During this time, I began to take a deeper dive into the job descriptions, only to find there was a lot of overlap in the work that was being done. It was during this time that I began to question some of what I had learned about corporate structures and corporate ownership. There seemed to be a lot of gaps in my understanding of different forms of business/commerce and the accumulation, tracking and dispersion of funds. Granted - we can’t know everything, especially if we don’t have experience in actually dealing in every single one of those sectors and also realizing my frame of knowledge was solely based in the educational system, both through study and experience.
As I set out to try Financial Planning at a A++ rated firm, I was able to spend time with some really great advisors, representatives, and leads who had a lot of knowledge around saving, investing, risk management, business development and financial acumen. During this time, I was exposed to small business owners developing and cultivating their businesses and deciding on business designations. Simultaneously, I was studying to take a financial exam and learning about how the financial system works. It was during this time that I caught a shift in my thinking as it related to different systems of business. As a person who has always been in serving professions, supporting and helping to uplift others , I began to see an equitable way forward through finance, business and education. As I was integrating my educational background into finance, I started to think of all the people rooted in servingness who have fought hard to create more just, inclusive, and equitable spaces and thought - what if some of these people became millionaires? Could we shift society and create a more harmonious and beautiful tomorrow?
While I began to think of new forms of business rooted in people and care, I also started to see a way for it all to possibly exist. The biggest problem? It could take years for a new business to take-off; it’s definitely a gamble that requires money, grit, and the release of all fear. So many of the clients I was bringing in had a basic cash flow problem - barely making ends meet and still wanting to dream. I wanted to help so bad, but the help they needed - couldn’t be provided. I started wondering how people find investors? Where do people go find others in their communities with money to spare? Are there think tanks where you can go and cultivate ideas with others to launch something rooted in people over profit?
