Personal finance is just that: personal.
As a fee-only financial planner, my goal is always to help you create a unique strategy for your wealth that prioritizes your goals and values. However, I wasn’t always in the financial planning profession. Prior to making the move to fee-only financial planning, I worked in the tech industry – much like many of Brightview Financial’s clients.
My Path to Financial Planning
Early in my career, I was a young, single woman in tech, navigating an array of employer stock options, ESPPs, and 401Ks, and trying to plan for a future retirement that seemed very far away while living in San Francisco and paying down student loans. My financial goals at that time were focused on finding some financial stability and traveling as much as I could when I could afford it.
A few years into my hectic career in tech, I took a sabbatical that took me to a dozen countries over the course of a year. It was an experience that left me with a negative net worth, but countless valuable memories. In my 20’s this seemed like a fair trade-off!
In hindsight, I can see that the pull I felt to take a sabbatical from my career was directly tied to how fast-paced and exhausting the tech industry can be. I find my clients experience this often! In fact, one of the first questions clients in tech ask me is – How much longer do I have to do this? (If you’re interested, I have a free eBook all about how to prep for your transition out of the tech field).
After my sabbatical, I continued to work on my career and develop my professional skills. I bought a home. I got married, and my husband and I started a family. It felt like the further I grew in my career and my personal life, the less time I had for organizing my financial life. The decisions my husband and I had in front of us were increasingly complex, and I was increasingly anxious about trying to juggle long hours, a family, and day-to-day life. Changing Career Paths From Tech to Financial Planning
After many years of pondering a move away from the tech industry, I took the leap to financial planning. It was a challenge to tackle entrepreneurship, but one I welcomed.
One thing that stood out to me at the beginning of my time as the founder of Brightview Financial is that so many of my clients who were (or are) in tech had similar concerns that I did. Their time felt limited. Finances felt increasingly complicated. They enjoyed their work in tech, but felt like they were sacrificing goals and passions to continue climbing the ladder.
Then, other concerns cropped up, as well:
- Caring for aging parents
- College savings
- Employee stock options
- Purchasing a home (or upgrading to a larger home)
- Career changes
- Setting financial goals as a family
The list goes on.
My Mission
I’ve walked the same path that many of my clients are walking. Being in the tech industry can be stressful. It’s critical to build a financial plan that takes your wealth and career into account but balances those financial opportunities with your personal goals and mental health. My mission is to help tech professionals and their families to create a plan both for their money, but also for their lives.
Together with my clients, we face the challenges of today while planning for tomorrow. We clarify their goals, identify their stressors, and help to create a path forward for them to start living a life that leaves them feeling content, confident, and fulfilled.
Working With Brightview Financial
One of the primary ways busy professionals can get (and stay) organized is by teaming up with a financial planner. Brightview Financial is fee-only and fiduciary. In other words, we are legally bound to put the best interest of our clients above our own. We’re only compensated by clients, and don’t receive a commission for selling financial products.
Solid financial planning can help you prepare for the challenges—and take advantage of the opportunities—that life presents. We can work together, laying the financial groundwork for navigating all your life milestones and building your resources so you can live your best and brightest life.
If you’re interested in learning more about Brightview Financial or working with a financial planner, I’d love to speak with you. Contact me today by clicking here.
Updated June 2023