How Childhood Memories Sparked My Passion for Personal Finance

There are a few memories from my childhood that have shaped my decision to start a business. It may have taken longer than I originally imagined, but I believe now is the right time to take that leap.

One of my earliest memories goes all the way back to 5th grade. At the end of the year, our class created a simple yearbook with everyone’s answers to a few fun questions—one of which was, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” While many of my classmates answered with “firefighter,” “police officer,” or “nurse,” I confidently wrote “Business Owner.” At that age, I had no idea what kind of business I wanted to own—I just knew I wanted to be my own boss.

Another memory that stands out is from early in high school. Every Sunday, my family would have breakfast at my grandmother’s house, and she always had a copy of the Boston Sunday Globe. I’d find myself flipping through the stock pages, checking which stocks had gone up or down and trying to see if my “predictions” were right. I didn’t know much about investing at the time, but something about it fascinated me.

Then there was my dream car: a teal BMW Z3 convertible, just like the one from the James Bond GoldenEye movie. My dad worked as a BMW mechanic for years, so I was used to seeing BMWs while my dad worked on them. I was still in junior high when I started my first “savings fund” for a car—using a washed-out yogurt cup with a homemade label that read BMW Car Fund. I figured I’d fill up enough yogurt cups to buy my dream car someday. (Too bad I didn’t know about high-yield savings accounts back then!)

In high school, I got my first job as a waitress. I desperately wanted a Coach purse, but my parents wouldn’t buy me one, so I knew I had to earn the money myself. At the same time, I had to cover my own cell phone bill, car insurance, gas, and other expenses. To stay on track with my goal, I created a budget system using envelopes—one specifically labeled “Coach Purse.” After each shift, I’d take 10% of my tips and put them into that envelope. [A true example of the Envelope Budgeting Method 😊.]

Around that time, I also opened my own savings account at a local bank. I loved watching the balance go up—even if the interest earned was minimal. Looking back, I had no idea that I could’ve been using a high-yield savings account or even started investing in a Roth IRA with my earned income. These are the types of things I wish someone had taught me earlier.

While I had a good foundation and curiosity for money management, I see now how much more I could have known—how much further ahead I could have been with the right tools and guidance.

After high school, I went on to study Financial Services in college. I dove even deeper into investing and personal finance principles. But after graduation, I didn’t pursue a career in personal finance. Instead, I went into corporate finance. Still, my love for personal finance never faded. I kept educating myself and refining my own money habits.

All of these experiences—from childhood curiosity to adult practice—have led me here: starting a personal finance business. My goal is twofold. First, I want to help adults take control of their finances, no matter where they’re starting from. And second, I want to empower teenagers with the knowledge I wish I had growing up.

Because when we educate adults, we don’t just help one person—we equip them to share that knowledge with their kids, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and beyond. It’s about building financial confidence across generations.

Thanks for reading,

Meghan