“I have led an incredibly fortunate life. I have learned a lot and have much more learning to do. By coming to the conversation curious, I have had the benefit of continuous movement towards living a mindful and joyful life.”
– Emily Scott
My Money Story: Past, Present, Future
If you asked me about a significant takeaway from my childhood, I'd say that I learned early on, that life can be volatile. My father fled the Nazis, was a stowaway on a boat to Cuba and came to the US with nothing. My mother was a depression-era child of Russian immigrants whose family struggled to make ends meet. Their collective stories told of turbulence but also hard work, courage, and resilience. I came to believe that these attributes are the price of entry into a well-lived life.
My father's expertise in chemistry and perseverance made him successful in business. His myopic view of investments (and marriages) dissipated those hard-earned dollars. For my mother, her childhood trauma fostered a lifelong shopping addiction, which exacerbated money issues and relationship friction. I developed a multi-faceted view of money, recognizing it was temporary, uncertain, and, at times, the source of conflict.
When I was young, my father left my mother for another woman, with divorce soon following. Our families were both known in town, and this was an event that was scandalous at the time. Women didn't have credit cards in their names back then, and the system made it difficult for my mother to become independent. One lawyer presided over my parents' divorce, leaving my mother on the losing end. This time-period is my earliest memory of being socially aware and of noticing that injustice can exist. I learned some valuable lessons — when events occurred that were beyond our control — I saw what it meant to persevere.
Children of divorce tend to mature overnight. It was chaotic being a teenager, navigating parental visits, stepfamilies, and all the pubescent travails that come with the territory. Through education, witnessing my mother's plight, and instinct, I learned the importance of being independent. My measly allowance that I balanced every month in a checking account was proof that a dollar couldn't go far. Financial diligence went hand in hand with independence.
This desire became a dire need when I read about the newly coined "Bag Lady Syndrome" while applying to college. I chose Simmons College in Boston as its mission was to provide women with a liberal arts education and a foundation from which to build financial independence. The diverse population and the opportunities for volunteerism and activism I found in Boston ignited my curiosity for the world. After graduating with a BA in Management, I joined the acclaimed Macy's executive training program. The immediate responsibilities offered at the beginning of my work life, while challenging and rewarding, had its limits. I went back to school for my MBA at Cornell Business School and started working on Wall Street soon after.
Despite my family's financial peaks and valleys, we were fortunate. Raised with the belief that, "for whom much is given, much is expected," I also recognized the immense privilege it is to be a white woman in the US. I knew that privilege brought a responsibility to pay it forward. As I grew, I was encouraged to volunteer and did so in college and beyond. When I started to make money, I made it a habit of being financially charitable as well.
I left Wall Street after many years, moving to San Francisco to continue working in financial services. After some time, I married a wealthy man prompting me to shift to managing our life, our books, and running our newly created family foundation. While some professionals viewed me as one of their clients, far too many deemed me the "wife of the client." I learned what it was like to be on the client side of the table yet not seen or heard by the many professionals eager to garner our business, as many of them viewed the assets as "his" not "ours." Being a rational, risk-averse person, I set out to prove my worth, knowledge, and frugality to them, to my husband, to his family, and to the world.
Providing my "time, treasure, and talent" suited me better — a perfect balance of philanthropy and volunteering. My volunteer and charity efforts have included gratifying work in over ten countries within communities in need. I've served on numerous non-profit boards, created unique fundraising programs, and traveled the world for humanitarian causes (for more detail, please visit My Philanthropic Story).
Collaboration is something I cherish personally and professionally. I couldn't do the current work I do with my clients without the richness of others at the table.
Philanthropically, the collaborations I helped foster are especially meaningful. I learned that an overwhelming percentage of domestic violence victims don't leave their abusers because they don't want to leave the family pet behind, and safe houses are not equipped to handle animals. My initial grant in 2013 to create Purple Paws, a partnership between a local safe-house and an animal shelter, that continues today, has helped many families find new lives.
Supporting former foster youth was a focus area of The Pottruck Family Foundation. To learn to be a better leader in our space, I joined the 2012 cohort of The Philanthropy Workshop. My theory of change was for social investors in this space to collaborate to increase the number of former foster youth pursuing a college degree. From that theory came The California College Pathways Initiative, a public-private program supporting foster students.
Throughout my lifetime, I've seen others overcome challenges. Some of my life's setbacks include sexual harassment, sexual violence, and other forms of abuse and harassment. When my husband and I divorced, I needed to rethink my finances with that familiar bag lady syndrome hovering in the corner of my mind. I doubled-down on independence-is-paramount planning.
Moving Forward
The rewards of my innate curiosity, experience, and age include a lifelong desire to learn about the world and myself. After much introspection, I appreciate the triumphs that have come from my setbacks. For one, I've demoted the potential "bag lady" from her starring role to a cameo appearance. I prevailed by changing my decision-making process to one of symmetry — incorporating rational and emotional thinking.
My money story with its trajectory, my financial background, my experience as a client, and my life experiences have culminated in creating The Power of And. I have a perspective and a voice. I want to help clients create a life of financial peace of mind and clarity, and I intend to show people how to make their vulnerabilities their strengths. It is what I am meant to do in this lifetime.
