Christy Grew Up Dead Broke. Her ‘Poor’ Mindset Propelled Her to Millionaire Status at 37

Humility + hard work + financial prudence = Getting what we want

Christy and I share the same smell.

How do I know? In truth, I did not at the beginning of our friendship. I [only] knew her to be a dependable co-worker. She was always there at work.

That, I know.

But I never get to see her inner side.

How does she think about money? Career advancement? Life?

I only got to find out during the 3rd year of our friendship. Christy was delivering an opening speech on stage.

And it was telling.

The Speech

As luck would have it, we,

• Got promoted at the same time,
• Got assigned to mentor the same junior analyst cohort,
• Spent a lot of time working together on the Analyst School syllabus and delivery.

I started to understand Christy better at work and beyond.

Unlike Ivan [her boyfriend, my colleague] — who has been earmarked to be the next batch of Managing Director to be — she is grounded, unassuming, and unbelievably steadfast.

She is not the sprinter type.

Christy does not bother to outrun you in the corporate race.

She is that steady marathoner. She will stay within striking distance and push you to run faster. You blow up before you know it.

In short, she outgrinded everyone in our batch to the top.

That spirit, mindset, and confidence permeated her opening speech on Day 1 of Analyst School.

“No one owes you a living. You owe you. Above all else, don’t quit on a whim. Also, the worst time to quit your job is before Christmas. Retail prices will increase by then. You will feel the money pinch.”

It was a bewildering opening career speech.

• Christy came across as a consultant when I closed my eyes to listen.
• She came across as a concerned financial mentor when I had my eyes open.

I could tell that the new hires were confused by her. I don’t blame them. Even I was.

But it allowed me to understand her better.

Especially her money mind.

Our Casual Dinner Chat Over Drinks Peeled the Onion

Analyst School is a 2-week long program.

I had plenty of time to interact with her. Oh, and Ivan, too.

We would do what we must during the day. We will then disappear from the hotel for dinner, drinks, or drive in the evening.

It was one of those [rare] moments I felt alive at work.

Strong bonds formed between the 3 of us.

“Hey, Christy. What’s with the money pinch talk during the opening speech? How is that even relevant to the young and naïve joining our firm? What don’t you tell them to work 16 hours a day?”

Ivan seemed bemused.

“I don’t think she needs to say that. I presume you did.”

I burst into a loud chuckle.

“Fair enough. Yes, I did. Okay. But what is it about not quitting before Christmas?”

I was genuinely intrigued.

And Christy knows it.

“It’s baked into my psyche. My Dad worked odd jobs moving furniture. He would always be retrenched before Christmas. I never had toys. Mum had me wait for cheap bread at the bakery. It’s our only food for the next day.”

What a story.

Christmas scarred her.

And it was telling. Christy continued her financially broke behavior even though she made $6,000+ then. I knew because we got promoted at the same time. Our salaries were the same.

• Ivan drank red wine. The cheapest red on the list.
• I had watermelon juice. The cheapest fruit juice on the menu.
• She? Christy drank plain water. And without ice. Because ice cubes cost an additional $0.30.

“It bugs me that people can be money-chill. To me, money is life. My Dad died from money woes. I was only 19 when he passed on. I fought hard for my scholarship because we are dead broke.”

I resonate.

I studied hard for my scholarship and worked many, many, many part-time jobs too.

The Dedicated Consultant at Work

“All I wanted from work is financial enablement.”

I heard that loud and clear. The word is enablement, not freedom.

That is her driving force.

And~DD~

That is the line in the sand separating Ivan from Chirsty at work.

Ivan works for,

• Recognition,
• To reach the apex of the career game,
• A pool of money that allows him to compound his wealth.

Christy, on the other hand, works for,

• Money,
• Her family’s livelihood,
• Her future self in the name of retirement.

Ivan is stingy with his money because he wants to grow his wealth.

Christy is penny-pinching and frugal because she does not want to return to her childhood. In fact, she never spoke much about it.

That is why they are a natural couple.

That explains why they plunder the bakery downstairs for bread at a steep discount.

That also explains why they fight over a tub of ice cream for $4.

“Working to get to the next level? Of course. That’s a 20% — 25% pay increment. It’s always worth it. If you think it is not, wait till you are broke.”

There is no way I can argue with her.

And Christy’s work ethic is unbelievable. She belonged to the dependable type. She knew the ins and outs of the projects she was involved in.

It was psychologically assuring to have her on my team. She always had the answers. You cannot avoid her. She was a corporate hubspot.

And she worked her ass off to be in that position.

“Why not? That is the one thing that always got me promoted. I will keep doing it. Takes effort? Yes. Suck up a lot of time? Yes. But it gives me what I want. It is a price I am willing to pay. So, I pay.”

I remember asking her this question once.

“Isn’t it very tiring to live this way, Christy?”

Her response was [rather] cold.

“Wait till you’re broke, man. Then, you tell me which one is better.”

Point noted.

The Close

Christy was made Managing Director at 37.

She achieved millionaire status that same year.

What do I know? She mentioned it over dinner with a light smile. I trust that she had no reason to lie.

And that is not the point.

This is.

Christy is the only Managing Director I know who would reach the office early to have pantry biscuits and a cup of black from the Nespresso machine for breakfast.

I did not see it with my own eyes. Ivan snapped a photo of her stirring coffee from behind and sent it to me.

There is no cheapskate in that image.

Instead, I saw a dogged and hardworking young lady working from rock bottom to the near-summit of her career.

Christy is impressive.

No matter how cheapskate she appears to be.

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Oh, oh, you can buy me a cup of black too! Thank you!