Meet Gwen Cohen
Hi, I’m Gwen!
First, let me express my gratitude that you’re here. Of all the resources available to me, gratitude is the one I’ve reached for time and again. It has helped me navigate life and a successful 36-year career as a top wealth advisor for a leading global financial company. It also has enabled me to process and pass on the wisdom instilled in me by powerful women who taught me the importance of being financially savvy and responsible, understanding that almost every decision we make involves a cost; protecting the things and people who matter most; and finding ways to give back. Inevitably, these values influenced how I advised my clients at Morgan Stanley.
In one-on-one conversations, without fail, concerns about broader life goals
and personal fulfillment frequently came to the forefront. I realized that to “meet
them where they are,” I’d have to lead them out of their comfort zone. So, I asked the tough questions that they may have been avoiding. This self-examination was necessary to help them gain a better awareness of who they are as a person and the steps they needed to take to align their self-identity with their purpose.
Working at a global financial company provided me access to more financial information than I could use in a lifetime. So, I committed to offer at least one financial workshop to a community group every month. In my career and through
my philanthropic work, I have been able to convey to others transformative
power of self-discovery, why it is critically important to identify and protect what and who matters most, and how these decisions impact the ways in which we move through and engage in the world.
Ida-ologies: Making honey of our ancestors’ wisdom
My great-grandmother, Ida, raised eight children, often by herself, as her husband was frequently away building America’s railroads. At a pivotal time in her life when she was facing some tough decisions, she evolved through the challenges and adopted three principles that would become a legacy for her children:
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be financially savvy and responsible
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think about the size of your family before you build it
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give back to the good earth
These ideals and principles were passed down to me through her daughter, Maude, and my mother, Clementine. In my wealth management career, my work on civic boards and in the community, I have been able to help others apply these principles successfully in their own lives. Ida’s wisdom has been at the apex, flowing like honey to supply all those reservoirs. In the end, it’s not just about money; it’s about living a good life. In the spirit of honoring Ida’s timeless ideals, I have committed to giving back up to 20 percent of net proceeds from Bee Attitudes’ revenue to charitable organizations.
