We just celebrated the second of two graduations this year—our oldest son graduated from college with a degree in Economics and Finance and is now beginning his career as a Financial Advisor.
Most people assume I’m proud because he’s following in my footsteps in the financial world. And yes, I am proud—but not for the reasons one might think.
When our son first told my wife and I that he wanted to major in finance, I actually tried to talk him out of it.
Why?
Because both of our sons have been active investors since they were just 3 and 5 years old. We bought them their first shares in McDonald’s and GE, framed the certificates, and hung them on their bedroom walls. They literally grew up seeing their investments every day.
So I worried that our son’s interest in finance was more about following in my footsteps than following his own passion. I assumed he was doing what he thought I wanted him to do.
What I didn’t realize was that he had been quietly developing his own genuine interest in personal finance all along. He wasn’t just paying attention—he truly enjoyed it.
How was I supposed to know? I’d been telling him to clean his room for years and that only clicked after he went off to college!
All my wife and I wanted was for our son to find his own path. As a father, my goal has been to prepare him for life—not to choose his direction, but to support him in whatever direction he chooses. And we’ve always believed that whatever path he took, he’d succeed.
Why were we so sure? Because of one unforgettable moment that showed us exactly who he is.
Back in junior high, our son was running track. At the starting line, he looked like every other runner. But when the race began, he sprinted out so fast that one of his red tennis shoes flew off mid-stride. He paused briefly, glanced down at his bare foot, and then just kept running.
With only one shoe!
He didn’t just finish the race—he caught up and placed third, passing runners who never stopped.
After the race, he admitted how embarrassed he was to have to go back and collect his red shoe in front of everyone.
But I told him how proud I was—not just for the speed, but for the grit and determination. He paused for a moment, then his instincts told him to keep going. That instinct—to keep moving forward no matter what—will carry him far in life.
That was the moment when we saw what he was truly made of.
As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said:
“If you can fly, then fly
If you can’t fly, then run
If you can’t run, then walk
If you can’t walk, then crawl
But whatever you do,
you have to keep moving forward.”
Some people develop that mindset through military service. Some never learn it at all. He had it at 13.
So yes, I was proud when he tutored first graders in math as a preschooler.
Yes, I was proud when he declared Economics & Finance as his major.
Yes, I’m proud that he’s graduating with a portfolio he’s managed himself and 17 years of real-world investing experience under his belt.
Yes, I’m proud that he’s helping families build their financial futures.
But I’m not surprised.
I’m not surprised because I saw what he was made of that day on the track—with one red shoe.
That was the day the legend of Noah was born.
-Monk
We spend 12 – 20 years in school learning about every subject, except for money. Then we spend the rest of our lives trying to figure out how to make money or how to grow the money we have.
My approach to financial literacy is to teach it in a way that makes the complexities of finance so simple that your investing actions become instinctive.
To the youth, young adults, and the mothers who raise them,
Financial Literacy: Monk Says… Learn the Game
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#FinancialFreedom
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#MLK
#McDonald’s
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