Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dr. Nicole B. Simpson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Dr. Nicole B., so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
Sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know. When I acquired my CFP® designation in a career industry that minorities and women were not well-represented, I had to charter my own course. My objective was two-fold because I had endured serious trauma as a World Trade Center survivor. I was in the securities industry for over a decade before being on the 73rd floor of Tower 2 that fateful day. As the death toll continued to rise, I realized that while I understood the principles of financial planning which included planning for the unexpected catastrophic events that could potentially occur, many people in my culture and in marginalized communities were ill-equipped to handle such tragedy. I needed to educate and advise people on how to effectively manage their money. I did not have a mentor or role model to encourage me along the way and the industry was unwilling to make a substantial investment in me to ensure community success. So I became an expert in my field which granted me access into spaces where information and strategic tools were more readily available. Oftentimes I would be the only woman and minority representative in the meetings, but I learned necessary tools to achieve my goals. I learned through observation and took away best practices, customized what I thought would resonate with my culture and community, and I did the hard work to build credibility.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am the CEO and founder of Harvest Wealth Financial, a full-service financial planning firm that is committed to wealth creation and legacy planning. I entered the securities industry in 1991, am a Certified Financial Planner (CFP)®, and I hold Series 7, 63, and 65 Securities Licenses. I am also a Board Member of CFP Board Center for Financial Planning Diversity Advisory Group and Chair of the Generation X Community Association. I frequently speak on the lecture circuit, and I have written several books on financial and life planning. My purpose is to teach others how to connect emotional spending with potentially unaddressed financial trauma which helps to build a strong financial foundation. Being in the financial services industry, I was underrepresented and what is lacking in my community is access to information regarding financial literacy. In addition to those challenges, I was in 2 World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001 and experienced firsthand the devastating impact of that national trauma inflicted upon our country. It was the aftermath of 9/11 that exposed me to financial trauma. Simply put, financial trauma is the stress associated with lack of resources that can cause you to be overwhelmed, afraid or angry because the options to resolve the matter are limited. I already understood the emotional connectivity between humanity and money and my personal experience caused me to go on a journey helping people to pick up the pieces of their lives spiritually, emotionally, and economically. I engage people with the thought, “If money were not an issue, what would be your life purpose?” My life purpose is to help people fulfill that stated purpose.
Through my own purpose driven life, I have established a nonprofit organization named Generation X Community Association, with my sister Sonji K. Grandy and a few friends in 2001. Together we invest our time, talents, and economic resources to our community. Our greatest achievement to date is the Dare 2 Dream Institute, a financial literacy economic center that provides financial information to marginalized and oppressed communities. I am also the senior pastor of Micah 7 Ministries located in Piscataway NJ. We are called to serve and committed to the call. Micah’s foundation is rooted in love and the goal is to equip everyone to flourish everywhere. We are trailblazers and visionaries prepared to make a difference in the world.
In the last year, I have released several books that have received literary awards. My 2023 release The Quiet Shift, was awarded recognition with the BookFest 2023 award, the International Book Award for 2023, the Literary Global Book Awards (health/aging), and the Book Excellence Award Finalist for 2024. It addresses how to engage with aging parents in the family emotionally and economically. My focus has been to speak around the world about this very important issue that can affect multiple generations within the family structure. I invite everyone to join me in that quest by visiting my website www.nicolebsimpson.com.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The most important quality I find critical to how I govern myself is integrity. It is essential that I am perceived as honest and morally upright before the people. It is not predicated on what people can see, but what they can trust when it comes to me when no one is watching. I have always tried to live according to one Scripture, and it says, “The Lord judges the people; judge me O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me (Ps 7:8).” With that as my foundation, being empathetic and highly educated round out my vocational and life journey. It is my fundamental belief that once an individual defines their purpose, they should make every effort to excel in that arena. This will require education, certification or advancing one’s knowledge in that specific area. The best way to develop or improve in that space is through research. Learn as much as you can and then find a way to bring value to that vocational or life space. The more you know, the greater your credibility becomes. You will eventually become a highly valued contributor to your desired industry.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I have a life goal that demands community engagement. Before I retire from the securities industry as a CFP® practitioner, I want to ensure that 1000 people have accumulated a net worth of $1,000,000 or more as a direct result of my efforts. I believe many more will achieve those goals because of my writing and speaking efforts. Therefore, I must always remain engaged with the community to teach and train those who need guidance in building a solid financial foundation. So many people are impacted by financial trauma and do not know how to break free. My commitment is to train, guide, and mentor those willing to learn. Therefore, I am always open to connecting with influential people who have a love for the advancement of their community. The best way to learn about me and my work is to check me out at www.harvestwealthfinancialusa.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nicolebsimpson.com and www.harvestwealthfinancialusa.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolebsimpson
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harvestwealth
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/nicolebsimpson
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/nicolebsimpson
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/nicolebsimpon
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