What is it that I really do? What’s my work?

'So, what do you do'?

That age-old conversation starter.

For years I've found this one question made me think so many thoughts, feel so many emotions.

Sometimes I'd dread it thinking what will I tell people because I just don't feel social. Uff so much pressure.

Other times I'd be stoic and sound like a broken record. Same old. And then be disappointed with myself in retrospect. Come on I can do better than that.

Then there were those times when I'd be kicked because I thought how can I make this interesting, make it sound different. Even wacky.

There were the authentic episodes. Where I'd only want to be 'mufat' & say it exactly like it was in my head-unfiltered-totally politically incorrect.

Those ones where I'd be bored saying here we go again-Can't people connect more meaningfully.

And then ofcourse times when as 'founder' I'd use the 'elevator pitch' because how can I not walk the talk.

But on one of my introspective trysts it got me thinking. What is it that I really do?

Financial Advisor.

Financial Planner.

Financial Coach.

Wealth Manager.

Financial Entrepreneur.

Business Consultant.

Founder.

All of these tags give me an identity. A leg to stand on in the world. Maybe even make me marriageable.🤣  

But none of them truly give me fulfilment. Fleeting satisfaction yes. Maybe a sense of achievement. (to which I'm mostly averse). But nothing profoundly significant.

So? I’ve got to be doing something for clients beyond these tags. Helping out in some way. Making some difference (if any).

And then these new tags struck me.

Cleaner : I clean up client finances or the mess they make of it. 

End result = Finances that look better without even touching the finances yet.

No wonder they say ‘Cleanliness is next only to Godliness’. 😀

Defogger : I defog client perspectives so they can start seeing their finances & their lives with a new set of rose tinted glasses. (I like Pink)

You see the way we see our finances or anything for that matter is very rarely how a 3rd person does. To be able to build a 3rd person perspective for ourselves can open up a whole new world for all of us.

End result = Clients that ‘see’ better also realise they have way more than they thought & need way lesser than they thought.

Watchman : I watch over clients, their habits, their money. And then from time to time give them a wake-up call (Jaaaaaagte Raho!!)

They also sleep a little better because of me. (I know that's pompous but I do hope it's true).

Shrink : I double up as a psychologist. Because so much of our finances is in our heads. And so much of personal finances is well personal & about the person. Life first-Numbers next.

When we get money out of our heads & keep it where it belongs, i.e. our pockets (not literally but you get the drift) it makes us a little less money-minded. 😀

Someone also called it behavioural finance. Which basically means once the behaviour of the person changes the effect on the finances changes. Voila. 

So there you go. That is maybe what I really do. 

I wonder if I can put these on my business cards. 🤔