My client, Felipe, an upstanding, diligent professional in the banking industry, and I share the same passion for financial literacy. We champion people in developing healthier and empowered relationship with money in their habits, behaviors and mindset.

In one of his coaching sessions we focused on identifying his Thought Leader platform that could changes lives. I asked him to compose a vision of how he could best make an impact giving back to humanity.

I take my clients through a process in how they can rise above the density and noise online using their brand messaging. Thought Leadership is a powerful, fulfilling and courageous way to do that.

I think you will agree with me when you read his compelling story on becoming a Thought Leader for Financial Literacy just how much this is sorely needed in our country.

Please pass on his story to your family and friends. Pay it forward. And do offer feedback by email or posting on the blog comments! I know he will appreciate it.

Financial Literacy Thought Leader Platform

By Felipe Sebastian

I’ve learned from working in the banking industry for 11 years many adults lack financial literacy. I’ve been in several interactions with many people of all ages and ethnicities and it amazes me how many of them lack the knowledge of something as simple as balancing a checkbook.

I’ve been fortunate to learn a lot of good habits and techniques from several successful clients of mine and also from working with specialists at the branch and of course the studying I’ve made in my field of finance. It’s surprising and at the same time it’s disappointing to know we live in this great country yet 46% of Americans don’t have $400 saved in case of an emergency.

My career as a banker was not by choice in the beginning. I worked my way up and made the best of the time I spent in the office to make the most amount of money I could. I focused on my personal growth and self-development, learning from my peers and my customers and throughout the years I started to implement a lot of the same practices my clients shared with me that helped them reach their financial goals and dreams. I also took a lot of training courses, joined social networking events and passed some licensing exams, all which enabled me to be the disciplined saver and investor.

If I were to start my own financial literacy program as a Thought Leader effort, it would be a program designed for anyone ages 13 and up, regardless of where you see your life heading towards. Perhaps I would start one program for high school students that would teach them the skills on how to manage a bank account. I would start with the basics such as sharing the differences between all the deposit accounts offered at the bank such as a checking, savings or CDs along with their benefits and any fees/penalties associated with each of them.

I would also want to talk about the importance of credit and what it means to borrow money, which would include the possibility of having to pay back what you owe with interest. For older adults I would establish a program designed to teach all the details about having a healthy credit score, owning a home and investing.

I feel this is important to me to contribute this to humanity so we can all have the opportunity to set ourselves up for success coming out of high school and enter the real world. By learning these skills at an early age, it gives us the ability and confidence to make impactful decisions such as saving at an early age, managing your spending and buying a home all which can lead to a satisfying life.

The impact I could make by creating this program I think could be significant.  It starts with creating more empowered human beings, giving us the ability to make smart decisions early in life that could make a difference in the way we spend, save and borrow. This is tied down to our economy, potentially reducing unemployment and increasing our individual income and/or net worth.

I would build a following by inspiring those around me in the same field of banking/finance as I am and/or have an interest or passion in helping others to become savvy with their money. I could start by creating podcasts/blogs, websites and workshops.

Let’s give Felipe a start by sharing this with your friends and colleagues!

Intrigued by Thought Leader coaching? Email my team to schedule a call to explore your passion and vision. I’m here for you – support@marladiann.com

Joy & Abundance,

Marla