Team Words

In 2024, each month a member of our team is offering up "Team Words"--a phrase that is meaningful to them that they'd like to share with our team. We are sharing some of them on our blog with all of you. This month's selection comes from Julian Becker, Senior Portfolio & Data Manager at High Impact

While the sentiment in this quote of following one’s passions is not necessarily unique and can even be seen as cliché, I read this book during a period of significant personal and professional changes in my life, and its phrasing deeply resonated with me. My education in business and economics had largely trained me to make choices based on what I was best at, or my "Competitive/Comparative Advantage." This mindset helped me optimize metrics that an economist or business analyst might consider proxies for a good life (raises, promotions, and prestige).
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However, focusing on these external factors led me to build a life I wasn’t necessarily passionate about. I had been neglecting many of my passions, including my desire to do work that has a positive impact on the world. Although my job at the time was interesting and involved amazing co-workers, it primarily benefited a small group of “Ultra-High-Net-Worth” families. Fortunately, one of my undergraduate professors introduced me to the world of impact investing and Community Development Financial Institutions. This exposure helped me pivot to an industry where I can do work that I am good at and feel passionate about. The quote ringing around in my head also motivated me to start pursuing more of my creative passions in my non-work life, passions I had largely ignored since high school because I had labeled them as “unproductive.”