How I Learned Investing Is for Everyone #InvestingTruths

A few decades ago, if you had asked me what it takes to be a stock market investor, I would have said this: "You'd need to have a lot of money, be a math whiz, think like a tycoon and, probably, be a guy."

I wasn't any of those things, so I figured investing wasn't for me.

Then this happened: Before I got my big break into the world of fashion, I got a job in the high-tech sector, and part of my compensation was in phantom shares — which gave me rights to profits of the company at a later date. At the time, that didn't mean much to me; after all, the shares had no immediate value. However, once the company went public, that share ownership represented real money — and that got my attention.

Having the shares gave me a vested interest in learning about business, economics and investing. For the first time, I regularly read the business section of the paper, and started following the stock markets. I watched as the value of the shares ballooned (it was during the dot-com era), and I also followed closely as their price sank. Yet, all along the way, I kept learning about the financial markets and, by then, I was hooked.

I tried to broach the topic with my ultimate confidantes and go-to consultants, my girlfriends. Over the years, they had offered great advice on just about everything, but none of them had any insights (or, to be honest, interest) when it came to investing. I forged ahead on my own.

First, I focused on saving in earnest so I could have money to invest. This meant gradually shaping my spending habits. Creating budgets is not my thing; instead, I worked on changing self-destructive habits like impulsive spending on things I didn't really need. Surplus funds were moved out of my chequing account as soon as possible to avoid temptation. Whenever I felt like making a purchase, I did a quick mental opportunity-cost analysis. I knew that making a good investment was likely to be the gift that kept on giving, whereas experience taught me that I'd soon tire of a new handbag.

However, I wasn't an investment whiz right out of the gate. My portfolio started out shaky. I made some rookie mistakes, like buying a penny stock in a company that produced pheromone-based fragrances. (The pitch was that since pheromones attract the opposite sex, having these in a fragrance was bound to be a category killer and serious moneymaker. Spoiler alert: It was not.) But as I honed my investing process, I began to see positive results and kept going.

Having maxed out the resources that were readily available to me, I craved more. I decided to raise my knowledge level by taking the Canadian Securities Course. I was a little freaked out, afraid it would be too hard, but it was just tough enough, giving me a strong foundation. Wanting to fully understand what I was doing, I kept taking more investment courses, finally becoming a Chartered Investment Manager.

Receiving those phantom shares all those years ago was a catalyst. Becoming an investor has changed the way I think. It put my finances — and my life — on a different trajectory. My only regret? I wish I had started sooner (and that I had taken a pass on the pheromone-fragrance stock).

I can't turn back time, but I can help others see what I've seen. That's why, in recent years, I've made a point of bringing investing back into chats with my gal pals. Some are humouring me by hearing me out, while others are less inclined to listen. But I'm not giving up hope, because here's what I've learned: It might not seem like it at first glance, but investing is for everyone.