It was my birthday yesterday!
Does this make me more philosophical? I don't and have never been bothered by age. It's not something that I can change. It is attitude that is important … I am however thinking about Beckon Capital, thinking back over the past 16 months as to why I joined and invested in Beckon Capital and what I have learnt. My background is macro focussed financial markets, currencies, interest rates, commodities, geopolitics. Top down-market analysis. Then along came Beckon Capital. I found myself joining an impact fund manager, focussed on non-public investments.
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Mahatma Gandhi
I joined to learn new things but I didn't expect the learning curve to be so steep and yet so fruitful. I have learnt so much in the last year I don't know where to start. I didn't really know anything about impact investing, ESG, private equity, start-ups. I worried but did nothing about the climate. Social change was about talking and donating rather than doing. I came from a macroeconomic focused space but I can now see how the worlds of macro and micro are morphing into one. It's a really exciting time to be alive!
The real life changing events have been the people I have met. It's hard to to start, there are so many inspiring people who are trying to change their world and maybe even the world. It's mind blowing, the firms that we meet and what they are trying to do.
It's been tough working through COVID. I, like many others have struggled at times with lockdown, yet I have nothing to complain about. Absolutely nothing.
I invested as I wanted to be part of something new, something different that could not only make a difference but also generate financial returns. I didn't use this phrase before joining Beckon but I do now, “profit through impact”.
There is a long way to go and the journey has and will continue to have its ups and downs but the journey is itself a worthwhile endeavour. Adding value by combining financial with impact analysis defines what we do. This adds value to individual investments but also changes the way people analyse and measure their businesses and consider their own behaviours. We ask if a business is viable? Is it investable? Is it sustainable?
There is no final destination in a successful financial services firm.
Success is measured along the way.
David 'Bushy' Nolan
Strategic Engagement
+61 (0) 409 881 910