Sharesies co-founder and CEO Brooke Roberts shares five pieces of advice to her younger self. Photo / Supplied
Sharesies co-founder and CEO Brooke Roberts shares five pieces of advice to her younger self. Photo / Supplied
Does wisdom really come with age? Lillie Rohan asked six New Zealand high achievers to write a letter to their 25-year-old self. Today, Sharesies co-founder and chief executive Brooke Roberts.
Kia ora Brooke (that was odd to write).
It's 2012 and the world is recovering from the Global Financial Crisis.You're 25, flatting in Te-Whanganui-a-Tara, working at Kiwibank fulltime and in your last year of studying towards a Master of Finance. You're funding and supporting your younger sister through high school and having a constant tutu with potential social enterprise ideas.
Lot's going on, huh. But I know you wouldn't have it any other way.
I found your 2012 New Year's resolutions. Some of them make me laugh (sorry, you're still not a great tennis player - haven't played tennis for years actually) and some of them you should be really proud of.
You had 15 resolutions. Sheesh! I think from now, we'll limit it to a maximum of five.
Grab a cup of Earl Grey and I'll share some wisdom from nine years in the future.
Keep trusting that gut of yours and following your curiosity
Your gut tells you that businesses can be a force for good and you're keen to make that happen. Keep researching and learning more about how to create the new way and follow that hunch.
Invest generosity into the community
You were fortunate to learn so many insightful lessons from your grandparents. Like bringing joy to people, always being up for a good laugh and, never forget, generosity. You spent some of your childhood playing at the op shops in Manurewa while your Nana volunteered, helped her deliver Meals on Wheels around the neighbourhood.
You watched her spend the rest of her day knitting booties and outfits for premature babies at the local hospital. Don't forget these lessons.
Sharesies co-founder and CEO Brooke Roberts shares five pieces of advice to her younger self. Photo / Supplied
Easy is hard
Sounds contradictory, I know. When you put something off, whether it is going for a run or stretching, life admin, having tough conversations, how you spend your money or how you choose to work, if you always pick the easy option, it can make things harder for you in the future. So prioritising doing the hard stuff early will make life easier down the track.
Time is the most valuable asset
As you learned in one of your first finance classes, the most valuable aspect of money is time (the time value of money). This is also true when it comes to life. That focused, hard mahi you've got going on now with juggling studying for your Masters, fulltime work and family life will all be worth it in years to come.
Put your phone down and connect
You'll be surprised at how much time we now spend on our phones, absorbed in social media and the digital world. Drop the digital when you can and be present, so you can truly connect (and have some good old belly laughs) with your friends, whānau and the community around you.
There we are, maxed out at five points.
B
• Brooke Roberts is co-founder and chief executive of online investment platform Sharesies. To hear about her Sharesies journey, listen to her episode of the HP Business Class podcast.
