Today we’d like to introduce you to Michele Cho-Dorado.
Hi Michele, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I spent many years studying and training in medicine to become a physician. I had dedicated so much time and energy to getting there and was on auto-pilot once I entered practice. I thought I would work and save until eventual retirement, and that’s pretty much the extent of what I knew about money management. I was about 8 years into practice before realizing that I was financially illiterate! Around this time, I came across a group of physicians who discussed financial topics and realized that I was not the only doctor who felt this way. Despite all those years of receiving various forms of education, I had never received a financial education. This prompted an educational learning journey, eventually allowing my husband and I to be more intentional about managing our money and finances. We have young kids and knew we wanted our kids to learn these concepts as early as possible so that we could help set them up for financial success much sooner in life. But there wasn’t much for the younger age group, and this topic is not traditionally taught in school. I ended up publishing Reach For The Stars, a children’s picture book, to introduce basic financial concepts while empowering young kids with bold and confident thinking. Bright Futures EDG was then established to get this information to as many children as possible and expose them to financial concepts early using fun, goal-oriented, and educational activity sheets.
Financial literacy is vital in today’s world, yet it is not taught in the traditional school curriculum. Parents can help their children learn these concepts early to help ensure that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to navigate their financial future. This can ultimately lead to a higher chance of financial stability, which is crucial for personal and societal well-being. Beyond this, I truly believe financial literacy has more benefits than just managing money. It can encourage confident thinking, promote good decision making and develop a sense of leadership and social responsibility.
I plan to continue developing this platform to include content that will best serve this audience, as I am also a parent who is on the same journey of trying to teach my kids these important life skills.
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
The biggest challenge to overcome was changing my mindset to believe I could do things outside of medicine. I had followed the narrow path to becoming a doctor for so long and got used to staying in the box. I had told myself that I was not good with money, finances, or business.. I also believed that I wasn’t creative. Getting past my limiting beliefs allowed me to tap into these other sides of myself and learn about the things I didn’t think I could do. This included learning about personal finance, investing in real estate, writing and publishing a book, and being an entrepreneur!
It took a major shift in my mindset to make big pivots in my life and try new ventures. But by stepping out of my comfort zone and allowing myself to take risks, I learned and grew in ways I never expected. I changed the paradigm of how I viewed failure and success. It also allowed me to connect with communities of people who continually push me and challenge me to test the limits of what I can achieve.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Receiving a financial education is essential for kids to build a brighter financial future, and this was the driving force behind the creation of Bright Futures EDG. This platform was formed to help introduce basic financial literacy concepts to children starting early. The three core pillars defining us are: Empower, Develop, and Growth. Our mission is to expose young kids to ideas and concepts that will equip them with the knowledge and tools to make informed financial decisions. By introducing these concepts early, we want to help set children up for overall success and inspire them to create a better future for themselves and their communities.
By encouraging a growth mindset, children will learn to embrace challenges and persist through difficulties, which are valuable lessons when making sound financial decisions. This also extends beyond just money management. By promoting a growth mindset, we can help kids build confidence and develop them to be leaders and entrepreneurs. It is also meant to empower children to be bold and to think big. These are all essential qualities for achieving overall success and independence in life.
With the launch of this platform, we are excited to go on this journey together and hope this will be a stepping stone for our children to develop lifelong financial skills. Parents will be able to purchase the book and related items on this platform and access a mix of fun and goal-oriented activity sheets related to these topics. We desire to inspire and educate as we continue expanding our content and offerings to serve our community best.
The COVID-19 crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
If there’s one thing we were reminded of during the COVID-19 crisis, it’s that nothing is predictable, and the only certain thing is change. We were all forced to adapt to unexpected situations and overcome various challenges, whether it was related to work, childcare, family, or health. The importance of being prepared for emergencies, both financially and emotionally, was highlighted during this time. It was a wake-up call for many to ensure emergency funds and a contingency plan for various circumstances. It also emphasized investing in physical, mental, and financial health. The pandemic has been a difficult time for many, but it has also been a valuable learning experience. It has taught me to be resilient, prepare for the unknown and embrace change with a positive attitude. I hope we can share these resiliency, preparedness, and positivity lessons with our children.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.brightfuturesedg.com
- Instagram: @brightfuturesedg
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089618709516
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/michelecd
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/Reach-Stars-Michele-Cho-Dorado/dp/B0BXHN6CR1/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1684354708&sr=8-1
Image Credits
Siward Photography (https://www.siwardphotography.com/)
