My Story

After a long day pushing flu shots and arguing with insurance companies, I collapsed on my couch and checked my savings account: $1,000. Back then, that was a lot of money to me. It was a big milestone that should have felt significant, but instead left me hollow. On top of feeling stuck in a job that I didn’t enjoy, focusing more on metrics – prescriptions filled, shots administered, dollars generated – than actually keeping people healthy and improving their lives, I felt that this modest amount was something I’d never be able to grow with the income I was earning.

I became a pharmacy technician to help people be healthier, and I loved consulting with patients. But somewhere between the corporate quotas and the endless insurance calls, that purpose had gotten lost. All the hard work and effort I had put into graduating from college felt needless, and the biology degree I had hanging on my wall felt like just another shiny piece of paper.

Weekends became my escape. As I pondered how I could make my $1,000 grow, I dove into investment forums, researched retirement accounts, and built hypothetical budgets. How did all this “personal finance” stuff work? Weekends turned into evenings, that turned into weeks and then months of learning. I soon realized that I wasn’t doing this because I had to. I was doing it because I loved it.

When the hospital let me go in January 2019, what initially felt like failure quickly transformed into a choice: search for another technician job,  a job I tolerated; or follow a spark and leap toward something that genuinely excited me. I decided to leap.

I started working for Barry, an investment advisor in his seventies working from a home office. He took a chance on me. Where the pharmacy saw a metric, Barry saw me as a person. He needed my help with technology; I needed his mentorship in finance. Ultimately what he offered went beyond professional guidance – he and his wife Barbara treated me like family. I felt deeply seen and cared for. Not only did I love them as people, but I loved the work I was doing. 

The first time I sat across from my own client, to discuss a retirement strategy, I saw something “click”. This is how it happened for me when I went down the “personal finance” rabbit hole. More than anything, I want other people to have that feeling. I want people to  know that financial freedom and independence is possible. Giving financial advice may not be the same as giving a patient a life saving drug., but I feel it can be just as powerful. 

Health comes in many forms. Sometimes it’s a prescription. Sometimes it’s a financial plan that lets you sleep at night. Either way, it starts with being truly seen.

How I’m expanding what’s possible with money

My favorite part of my job is teaching others about how money works. Sometimes we don’t know what we don’t know, so having someone in your corner to guide you through it can be extremely helpful. From basic budgeting and investing to complex estate and tax planning, I’m always happy to help de-mystify the process. Knowledge is power!

Outside of work, my passions include

Travel. So far, my time on earth has been limited to the U.S., but I look forward to international travel across the globe. I love being outdoors, far away from typical tourist attractions. My idea of a fun vacation is kayaking through pristine rivers in the Canadian Rockies; backpacking around Patagonia in Torres del Paine National Park; climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania; going on an African Safari in Kenya; hiking to Everest base camp in Nepal; or crossing the harrowing Drake Passage to sleep under the stars in one of the loneliest places on earth: Antarctica.