My Relationship to Money: From Humble Beginnings to ESG Investing Icon

Mar 10, 2021 10:10 AM ET

My Relationship to Money: From humble beginnings to ESG investing industry icon

by Frank Coleman, former investment professional and founder of BeingFrank Consulting

On December 31, 2019, I retired from a 33-year career in the investment business. I have a pension, own a home and a new business and have savings that will carry me thru my remaining years in comfort.

And yet, when I was asked to write about my relationship with money, I had to pause and think hard about that relationship. On the surface, it may appear that I received a great grounding in financial matters and that the journey was an easy one. Truth be told, the journey was chaotic and was one where I spent a good deal of time looking in the rearview mirror.

I am the product of single mother household, born and raised in a railroad apartment in Harlem. Throughout my formative years the family drifted between the poor, lower-income and lower middle-income categories. And yet as a youngster, I never heard about those categories nor felt as if I were any of those. We never went without food, always had a roof overhead, and never went without clothes. 

Read about Frank's amazing journey, including how he received scholarships to attend a private military boarding high school and an Ivy League college before choosing a career in finance, all here - https://greenmoney.com/my-relationship-to-money

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