The Assignment
Changing the conversation from money to vision is the point of differentiation for Joan Sharp, in her advisement of clients for River Family Advisors. She was looking to have her bio reflect not only her education and experience but to also communicate her values; what her vision is for the future – something she seeks to identify in the clients she serves. Joan is not only a successful businesswoman and philanthropist – she is also a public speaker. I wrote several bios in varying lengths for use in public speaking events, social media, the various organizations to which she belongs, as well as her website.
The Copy
Joan Sharp Background Summary
My childhood is a union of three different lives, much of it defined by family circumstances. My early years living comfortably in Arlington, VA., brought a love of contemporary art and an acquired aptitude for taking in political banter and opposing points of view. I learned to appreciate that everyone’s vision and perspective differs – no matter the topic.
Our way of life shifted when our family became fractured. Growing up in the ’70s with the backdrop of the Women’s Movement, I watched my mother face the obstacles of daily life. From not being able to have a credit card in her name, raising children, to welcoming the occasional shipment of food from relatives, my mother modeled resilience. At the same time, I witnessed my birth father use finances as a weapon and a means of control. Money or lack thereof brought uncertainty, and at times – resentment. The early years lent too much power to the almighty dollar.
In high school, the pendulum swung yet again, and we were living in Wilmington, DE. My mother re-married, resources were plentiful. Philanthropic work is a way of life for my family with my mom and dad heavily involved with non-profits for much of their lives. From my parent’s example, I spent time outside of school volunteering, my first foray into experiencing the power of giving. I chose to give my time to American Field Services, as many of my friends whom I had just left were from other countries.
From the pluralism that was my upbringing; one thing was always constant – I had a biological drive to move forward and make my life happen. I took an early interest in studying businesses. While visiting my grandparents, my mother educated me on the connection between the farms in North Dakota, to the store, and later at home, the food on the table. Looking back, these vacations included lessons on business economics and policy. I wanted to be a leader. I majored in economics and, having noticed a law degree was a pre-requisite for most leaders in business, led the pre-law society in college with plans to attend law school in the future. In the meantime, I learned how to track stocks, following several large companies for years; charting their results for analysis.
Whether from my career or work with philanthropies, I set my intentions for how to improve and move forward continuously. I used my career as a replacement for an MBA. While working in marketing for Burger King, and sales for the startup division of M&M/Mars and Frito Lay, I learned the fundamentals of the commercial side of a business. I found that in service to others, I began to choose to partner with non-profits with whom I could provide experience as well as gain knowledge along the way.
I first learned to advocate for myself when personal accountants and investors were on my payroll to help advise me with finances. I found that neither person asked questions of me, inquiring about my plans or financial goals, leading me to pay the price for their lack of understanding. Perhaps from echoes of seeing my mother’s struggles, I prefer to speak up for myself and choose my future. When I work with clients, I try to instill self-advocacy in them by asking questions about their interests, listening, and learning how they see the world.
Identifying a person’s values and setting intentions brings inner harmony, something I prioritize above all else. I pay attention to my own spiritual and physical health and choose philanthropies whose mission with whom I identify. I’ve built my business by pointing out the underlying vision and values of a person and helping to plan resources as it relates to their ideals.
I intend to give the gift of inspiration by educating the public on what can come from considering an individual’s vision before resources. I want to transform what was a previously unusual occurrence into a conversation that is commonplace. I hope to leave a legacy of empowerment, where people are living and communicating their vision and purpose – changing the conversation for years to come.
A portion of this work later became a blog post for the Kinder Institute of Life Planning, titled Changing the Conversation From Money to Vision.
