As a former Corporate Girlie, it is built into me to take some time to reflect on the year and think about what I would want to accomplish for the year ahead. We used to call them offsites, but oddly enough they were always still in the office. Go figure!
Since I am a planner and a creature of habit, I had an offsite with my team of one (Me) to reflect and set a vision for the new year. I’ve done this for years, but this was the first time that I had the opportunity to not only think about how the year went professionally but personally too.
December is a great time of year for us all to think about what we want to accomplish. This is a time of remembrance of all the wins and challenges we had through the year; and to set the plan in place to achieve our new goals.
As I sat in my offsite at a local coffee shop, I started getting really emotional and excited. I’m sure the other customers thought I was nuts but I honestly didn’t care at all. After coming off some really challenging years, it was amazing to think about what year this has been. Please indulge me for just a moment.
Top 3 moments and not in any particular order:
My daughter, Karessa, got married this year. Our son, Chris, officiated the wedding in English and Spanish because my new son in love, Mike, is Dominican. Seeing the pure joy she was experiencing was literally indescribable. Having her community of friends and family come to celebrate them was more than I could’ve ever wanted for her. Knowing people drove and flew miles to attend was the literal icing on the Bizcocho.
Tarif and I renovated our home last year, and finally feel settled in. We hosted a number of get-togethers with family and friends in our home. Quality time with family and friends is my love language.
Organically started 2nd Story Wealth with this amazing community of women Entrepreneurs and Executives that are on a clear path to achieving their goals and dreams. A few highlights:
Saved a client thousands of dollars in taxes. Literal tears of joy!
Conducted Estate Planning sessions with clients to share their Family vision with their children - creating generational wealth.
Helped a client buy their dream home for their family. More tears of joy!
Helped Executives plan to shift from Corporate to owning their own businesses.
Helped Entrepreneurs gain clarity on their financial records and revenue.
Participated in a number of speaking engagements and podcasts to provide financial literacy to the community.
2024 is going to have to really be amazing to top this year. However, I am still excited and looking forward to creating more memories with my family, friends, and clients. A few goals that I have written down are:
Focus on my overall physical and mental health- honorable mention to therapists in the world.
I also want to continue to do more work in the community like volunteering at Kennedy’s school and more opportunities to educate the community on financial literacy.
My largest goal is to continue to grow as a Financial Professional so that I can provide the best level of service and guidance to clients.
I am currently enrolled in a Women’s Entrepreneurship course through eCornell to learn more about women as business owners.
I am planning on sitting for the Enrolled Agent exam this year to go deeper in tax planning for clients.
I have two conferences I plan on attending this year where I hope to learn from other planners and experts in the field.
How was your 2023? What would you like to accomplish in the New Year? What are you most excited about? Remember, Amat Victoria Curam is Latin for “Victory Loves Preparation”. As it relates to your personal financial goals, we can achieve them with the right level of preparation and planning. I am honored to partner with you to achieve your victory.
I am so excited about the year ahead. I have been in years when it hasn’t always been the best, so I have learned to really appreciate and be grateful for when things go well. You may be in the season of it not going well, but there will be a rainbow at the end of the storm.
My heart is full of gratitude for each and every one of you that are reading this. Whether you are a supporter, client, potential client, friend, or family member- thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting me this year. It is my prayer that you have found value in the community that we are building here at 2nd Story Wealth. The best is yet to come. Stay tuned!
With gratitude,
Nicole
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Nicole C. Carson, CFP®, MBA
2nd Story Wealth | Owner & Wealth Advisor
Phone: (215) 714-7144| 2ndstorywealth.com