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Aspen Women’s Wealth: Getting in financial game can start with investment ideas in plain sight

Ron Speaker and Raychl Keeling
Special to The Aspen Times
<em id="emphasis-2a00034b475d33d0fad110bdd8f4adfa">Raychl Keeling and Ron Speaker, from Equus Private Wealth, are the developers of the nonprofit educational outreach program Aspen Women's Wealth.</em>

Recently, my two sons and I toasted my wife for her incredible +317% investment gain in three weeks on four extra Hamilton tickets during our weekly Taco Tuesday dinner. This undoubtedly surpassed anything I have done in the financial markets this year. After shyly announcing her game plan three weeks prior, she exited her trade, which was worthy of the double Topo-Chico toast and high-fives.

This confidence-builder was timely, as I have encouraged her to get more involved with our financial affairs after completing our estate planning several years ago. I was haunted by the thought of someone less qualified than myself taking over if I was to pass on too early, and I wanted her to be a savvy family financial quarterback. Still, I couldn’t figure out a way to share valuable financial lessons that I have learned over 36 years of professional investing without interrupting the rhythm of a household with two young children.

In response, I created the nonprofit Aspen Women’s Wealth in 2020 to organize resources, recommend books, provide frequent financial inspiration in easily digestible bites, and host several in-person events each year to help women make connections. My goal was to help educate my family, our friends, existing clients, and women who have reached out for financial direction over the years. It would be a way to serve both my family and community.



To help my wife “get in the game” of investing, I encouraged her to open her own individual brokerage account. The capital contributed would be used as her training ground where mistakes could be made, and lessons learned worthy tuition. The account would be hers to manage without my interference.

Then the question begged: Where should she begin?




To help her find investment ideas, I told her to observe our family life with a new lens and analyze where we spend money. Good investment ideas are often in plain sight: around our homes, in our closets, within our tech universe, inside the garage, or at the grocery store. She has always been a great source of my investment ideas through her online and in-person shopping. I realized I had failed to reveal that I have always observed our spending patterns, product providers, and online activities as a never-ending source of investment possibilities.

Once she funded her account, things got interesting. She found her own inner “detective of opportunity,” as I believe every woman already has inside. When she studied the workout shoe shelf and saw that 10 pairs came from the same manufacturer, she knew she had found her first idea. Now when she hears new product announcements, new catalogs arrive, or a friend’s fast-growing company, her opportunity radar is up. She pulls on clothing tags, looks at the bottom boxes, and reads the fine print on packaging.

The Hamilton opportunity came with prior knowledge. She had tried to buy tickets to the Denver show two years ago after waiting in the online cue for hours. She knew it would be a hot ticket, just like when a new stock IPO hits the market. When she purchased the four extras, she leaned into her rising financial prowess and “got in the game,” exactly what I had hoped she would do. What I loved about her experience was how my wife invested in her zone and had the confidence to risk her capital.

The mindset of an investor takes time, patience, and practical experience to create. We learn to experience the joys of gains and the painful agony of losses — the markets are always ready to give us some humble pie when our confidence grows too quickly. We learn to trust our instincts, follow a hunch, stay open to new information and be aware of our biases. The only way to improve our skills is to get in the game.

Aspen Women’s Wealth is a 501(c)3 nonprofit created to help when you are ready to become more engaged in your financial affairs. Our steady stream of encouraging Instagram posts, monthly blog posts, and free in-person events helps you make connections, learn from leaders in the industry, and remind you that you are more qualified than you may feel.

Ron Speaker and Raychl Keeling, from Equus Private Wealth, are the developers of the educational outreach program, Aspen Women’s Wealth. You can find more information at http://www.AspenWomensWealth.com or follow us on Instagram at @aspenwomenswealth.

This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell a security nor considered a recommendation to utilize the services of a specific firm. Please consult your financial professional before deciding to invest. For more information and disclosure related to Equus Private Wealth, please visit our website or view our Form ADV II Brochure on the SEC’s website.