Excited for the Journey Ahead: Why I Chose 49 Financial

​I've had about three different pieces I've written just hanging out on my desktop and ready to release in June as my monthly blogpost—one on control, another on dreams, and then a hybrid of the two topics with a sprinkle of the pandemic's crushing effect on both of them. Sweet, huh?

But as I began to reflect on the many things that went wrong, I also realized how many things took a turn that I would have never expected...in a good way.

Life can seem so unkind in these transitioning phases, especially this one here as our country begins to ease off COVID mandates. But it's also in these transitions, or "confusing in-betweens," when we get the opportunity to rely on the Lord, our provider. Although God doesn't cause disease and pain, he uses everything for our good according to his will and purposes. When I look back on the brutal awakening of life not unraveling the way I expected it to be, my deep surrender to Jesus revealed to me that my dreams weren't being crushed but modified. My sense of control wasn't being stripped but replaced with a truer perspective that I really don't have as much control as I thought.

The one way I've seen this in action has been through my journey to accept an offer that I never thought I'd take. So here's a blogpost on why I chose the career path of becoming a financial advisor. Let's dive in.

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Part I: Paving a New Path

​How did I get here? I entered TCU with a dream of becoming an elementary school teacher. It was what I knew I wanted to do since I was in the first grade. About halfway through my undergraduate studies, I had a change of heart and switched my track to a BS in strategic communication. Then, about five months ago, I accepted a position as a financial advisor. I know; your head is probably tilted to the side in confusion. Finances were never top of mind for me, either.
 
HOW DID I GET HERE?

1) COVID-19. 'Nuff said! 
First, I’d like to blame but also thank COVID for the way a pandemic can change people. The unprecedented events and failed expectations were painful and resistant enough to make me check my perspective and purpose. Pain and suffering has this unique way of sucking life out of you while also growing you in a way that challenges you to be vulnerable, see the world in a new way, and become more empathetic to those around you.
 
As society encouraged social distancing, I noticed people—myself included— becoming increasingly more digitally driven as we searched for meaning, community, and relief. Social media became the new way to stay connected with friends, shop, and simply destress. During this time, I watched the startling Netflix documentary called The Social Dilemma, and read the convicting book written by Portland pastor John Mark Comer called, “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry.” These two influences paved the beginning of a new path for me. This path did not include a profession in the advertising industry. This path was one that craved purpose…I know—not a super clear-cut trail. 
 
2. Prayer + (Divine) Timing
Next, I’d like to bring light to the (divine) timing of life’s unexpected events that come about in seasons of prayer and waiting. I put "divine" in parentheses because I've learned that timing is always divine when you know that the Lord has a plan for you and a path that he desires for you. However, with our busy schedules, noisy minds, and extreme desire for control, we often don't make time to put God in the picture. We want to be painting our own masterpiece and be in control of the final outcome. 

Looking back, 2020 grew my faith in a way where the only comfort I found was when I surrendered control to the Lord. Instead of placing my faith in circumstance and outcomes, I learned to lean on Him and trust. In those times of listening and praying, I found peace and protection knowing that it was going to be okay because God was with me and in me.

So...while the advertising industry was booming with click rates, impressions, and conversions, companies were (and are) becoming increasingly more efficient and convenient to the world…at least that's the talk of the town. I just couldn’t get my head around it. Was it really adding good to the world?  

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​​​Little rabbit trail, please forgive me—I think of this convenience like a microwave. While microwaves add efficiency to the world in that we humans can prepare uncooked food by sticking it in an electric box for less than a minute and then Shampow! Magic!, microwaves are also, in my opinion— one of the worst inventions for our world. The slow yet sweet process of cutting raw, fresh ingredients into a sautéed mix of delicious vegetables and grains is an obsolete thought. Why? Because “it takes too much time.”

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Is the advertising industry really adding good to the world?

​​And that’s just it—it takes time. Time to think. Time to experience. Time to enjoy. Everything is getting increasingly faster as the industry saturates us with ways to make life "more convenient." I feel that we are losing the ability to be present in the moment because we’ve chosen to catch up with the “hurry.” This hurry is seen in our culture as the new normal along with many other things.
 
Here's the thing—I don’t want to be in a hurry. I also don’t want to be in a profession where I make online transactions so fast that people don’t have time to process whether they really need that extra shirt. I don’t want to promote trading community and conversations for blue light glasses and prolonged screen time. 
 
So, I prayed. I prayed for clarity, direction, and peace in next steps. I also journaled and read several books** pertaining to choosing a career and pursuing a purposeful life. And that’s when Dean reached out to me via Linkedin. 
 
3. Dean! Thank you, Dean!
This takes me to my third mention and thanks—to Dean, the guy who recruited me to 49 Financial. At the time, I was currently in an elective called Personal Financial Literacy***. ​Enrolling in this class just seemed fitting given the fact that I was graduating in less than a year and didn’t know the first thing about finances. I was also reading a book** that gave a biblical perspective on money and how to steward my finances well. 

My pastor put that small book out on the stage along with many other short reads from R. C Sproul after a college leadership night. He said it was free for all, and my hands gravitated toward this specific one on money. Several months went by until I finally opened it up. 
 
That’s when Dean reached out to me. Isn’t that crazy? There was something pulling me towards entering the conversation that Dean proposed even though I was pretty set in my head that I was not a finance gal. 
 
But I took the leap of faith.

I’m so glad I did. 
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Part II: The Interview

​The interview process wasn’t just a one-and-done kind of deal. Dean took the opportunity to, in his words, “simply get to know Liv” during the first call. In fact, I don’t think we talked much about finances at all. 
 
The next meeting was over Zoom when he introduced 49 Financial to me, and the core values the firm holds steadfast to. This interview was a turning point for me. To hear about the company’s values of integrity, respect, humility, service, and living by the statement that "two is better than one" was absolutely... refreshing! No, you don’t have to do it on your own. We aren’t meant to. The model that the firm built its practice around includes mentors, senior advisors supporting junior advisors, and a group of people helping each other serve their clients well.

However, I also know that talk about company culture is nothing unless followed with action, so it was a risk I wouldn't get to assess unless I took the job. Part of me was stoked about 49's values that resonated with mine; my heart wanted to just scream, YES! But I also knew that this was a big decision...my other voice in my head would regularly remind me that I didn’t want to go into finances. I kept going. I never thought I'd say this, but thank goodness for long interview processes!
 
I met another advisor from the firm in a following interview and got to hear about his experience. Things started to move forward and the idea of actually accepting this offer was a near possibility.  When I talked to Dean in my third interview, I started to ask bigger questions. Why me? I’m a young female with a Strategic Communication major and Educational Studies minor. What makes me qualified? (Yeah, I know—my academic advisor would not encourage me to ask this question to a recruiter, but I needed to know what I was getting into.)
 
This was one of the moments when things started to fall into place. Dean told me how he hired not based on skillset, which he further explained could be very trainable. He wanted to get to know the quality of the individual. As a TCU alumnus, Dean looked for driven, young, and passionate professionals who desire to make an impact in others’ lives and do so with integrity and conviction. The financial industry has been corrupted with greed & ego for far too long, and he explained how 49 wants to be set apart. In other words, 49 want to do what's right.
 
In addition, Dean brought up how the firm believes in our generation. Ahhhh. Sometimes, I even replay this statement in my head as I currently study for the certifications required to start in office. They believe in me. The job industry was looking pretty slim for us post-graduates who were seen as unexperienced and not worth the investment. Why hire someone you have to train when you can choose someone with years of experience? The firm believed in me and that was enough to keep on this path. 
 
But I won’t lie. I wish I could say that everyone was supportive over this potential profession, but that was just not the case. My parents questioned why I’d take a step into a completely different career path when I studied four years educating myself on something else. My friends and people in my life prodded me with hard questions that seemed to deter from the pending offer’s opportunities. What if you don’t make it? Wouldn’t you want a stable salary? Is it really worth it?
 
While talking to others didn’t make the journey real easy, I absolutely recommend integrating your community when making big life decisions like this. What I’ve learned is that if I couldn’t answer the hard questions or if I simply ignored the comments I didn’t want to hear, I wasn’t making a fully informed decision. I wouldn’t be allowing myself to get to a point where I realize that ultimately, I asked for advice from these individuals because they truly care about me and want what’s best for me. At the end of the day, it’s my decision. 
 
And again, through prayer and listening (common theme, huh?), I came to a point where I digested the advice and thoughts that were spoken, but also discerned that it was time to make my own decision. 
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Part III: Worth it (?)
*in progress—stay updated

​Is it worth it? This was the question I sought to answer. Looking back at this time of interviewing for a job while also living life in a pandemic, I am incredibly grateful for the deep dive I took in pondering what I want to do in life. 
 
Completely aware that my first job may not be my forever job (one of my writing professors at TCU made sure to drill that truth in me), I sought a profession that would be fulfilling to me, serving others, and glorifying God. People spend a majority of their lives working, and I needed to know that my work was making an impact that aligned with my purpose in my life. In short, I live by a mantra I created when I was an awkward middle schooler; it’s condensed in six words: love generously, live simply, and learn constantly. 
 
I came to the conclusion that 49 Financial would allow me to do just that. I’d get to love my clients generously in a practical way by advising what’s best for them. I’d get to learn constantly because I’m never doing it on my own. To have the humility to acknowledge my weaknesses and blind spots, but then have a company built on responding to that in support from other team members who guide me and teach me is assuring. Lastly, I get to live simply because I’m not entering the financial industry to get rich off of people’s investments. (If that changes, someone please lovingly call me out.) This part of my purpose requires an active effort of recognizing the life I want to live—a life not built on material luxury, but one founded on service and done in radical love.
 
To end, saying yes to this career was definitely surprising in who I am, but it’s a yes towards who I’m becoming…and that’s exciting! I’m ready to experience all that this profession has to offer. I have peace knowing I’m entering a career that aligns with what I believe in and I’m ready for the journey ahead.

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**Books I read that really helped me as I made this big decision: 

• "Garden City" by John Mark Comer
• "Cure for the Common Life" by Max Lucado
• "How Should I Think about Money" R. C. Sproul

***If you go to TCU, just do yourself a favor and add "Personal Financial Literacy" to your cart before you sign up for classes. It's 1 hour a week and completely worth it.