One of the reasons I love this work is that financial freedom is one of those rare goals that brings people together. We live in a time when it feels like people disagree about almost everything. But whether you’re young or old, liberal or conservative, urban or rural, most people want the same thing: the ability to provide for their family, have choices, and build a better future.

A moment that really reinforced why I’m here was seeing the early reaction to the Freedometer. We had educators, investors, nonprofit leaders, students, and Motley Fool employees all looking at the same tool and getting excited about the same outcome: helping more people build financial freedom. As someone who has spent much of my life moving between different worlds and trying to build bridges, that’s incredibly energizing. Promoting financial freedom is one of the few causes I’ve found that can unite people across lines of difference, and I feel fortunate to be part of that work.

My first job was coaching tennis in Princeton, NJ. At the time, I thought I was getting paid to teach forehands and backhands. Looking back, it was really my first experience helping people build confidence in something that felt difficult or intimidating.

Honestly, my parents taught me the most about money, even though they rarely talked about investing. We moved from Beirut, Lebanon to Princeton, NJ when I was ten years old. Starting over in a new country gave me an appreciation for resilience, opportunity, and the idea that long-term success is built one step at a time.