Showbags were a big deal as a kid. Mum would say “James, you’ve got twenty dollars to spend and not a cent more!” I’d sit there for hours with the showbag catalogue, circling options and calculating the optimal selection of lollies that my twenty dollars could buy. This is an early memory of my perspective on money, but I suppose I always remember having a profound curiosity about money and managing it effectively.When the time came to choose what I would go on to study at university, I distinctly remember one evening when I was researching financial planning and how it was about helping people manage their money to achieve their dreams. It sounded exactly like the kind of fulfilling work that I’d love to do.My professional years since then have been blessed working with a wide variety of people from all walks of life. I find it truly rewarding being able to help others with my passion, so that they have the freedom to focus on their passions, and the world becomes a better place.James holds a FASEA-approved degree in Financial Planning from Curtin University. James is also a member of the Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA).