Financial Perspective - Treasa Leigh Brown
A connoisseur of all events, Treasa pivoted from the VP of Finance to a full-time Entrepreneur and business owner when she discovered her passion for curating experiences. While managing a team of accountants, she simultaneously managed all the company event productions, which led to the unraveling of her love for producing events. From there she built Leigh Event Group, where she is the Creative Director and Business Coach that specializes in helping professionals increase individual productivity and in generating customized development plans (IDP’s) to enhance business growth effectively and successfully. In addition to assisting our future changemakers of the future, she also created We Rise Experience to continue to empower and uplift the women of our community. We Rise Experience is for women who crave connection, inspiration and a sisterhood. It’s a sacred space where women can come together to break barriers, speak unapologetically and step into their authenticity.
I caught up with Treasa a couple weeks ago to discuss personal finances, business and what is next for her on her financial journey.
1. How did you learn about money and financial literacy?
“I learned about money and financial literacy in quite a few different ways as I navigated my way through adolescence. Unfortunately, I wasn't taught much about how to manage my finances growing up at home. It wasn’t until I attended school that I learned about what it truly meant to be financially literate. Although I graduated with flying colors, I knew that there was a difference between learning something and the process of applying what you’ve learned to your life. I believe in being thorough in everything that I do so in the midst of applying what I’ve learned in school to my day to day, I also decided to hire a financial advisor so that I could ensure that I was taking the right steps in the right direction.”
2. How has this education shaped your relationship with money?
“The journey to receiving my Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Guelph reshaped my relationship with money completely. During the process, I made sure that I was applying what I was learning to all aspects of my life, simultaneously. I know that if I wasn’t as intentional about developing financial literacy, I wouldn’t have seen results as quickly as I did. The result of applying what I was being taught as I learned, resulted in me receiving a job offer at a renowned company following graduation. Within my first two years of working, I was promoted to the VP of Finance. As the VP of Finance, I was required to manage the finances between multiple businesses. This responsibility inspired me and ultimately led me to continuously integrate the same tools and practices in to my everyday to ensure that growth stayed at the forefront.”
3. What is your earliest money memory?
“My earliest childhood memory would have to be in my late teens. As a teen mom I was responsible for paying rent, paying my tuition, providing for my son, in addition to a surplus of other responsibilities. Ideally, learning about finances prior to absorbing this caliber of responsibilities would have resulted in a better decision making process. However, the lack of financial literacy helped me realize that if I wanted to thrive, I had no other choice but to educate myself.”
4. What is your proudest financial achievement to date?
“At this stage in my life, I would have to say my proudest financial achievement to date is being a mortgage free homeowner! Prior to being a homeowner, I assumed that in order to own a home you had to be making a tremendous amount of money, when in reality how you manage your finances will greater determine what assets you’re able to accumulate over time.
Following graduation, I hired a financial advisor to help me with these goals because regardless of me being financially literate, I didn’t have much knowledge on real-estate. Choosing to use what I’ve learned in addition to the guidance my financial advisor was providing, led me to this achievement. I knew that I was going to get this done, but I didn’t expect for it to happen so quickly. The feeling that comes with owning a property and no longer having it as financial burden is indescribable.”
5. What is next for you, on your money journey?
“Investments! I’ve started investing in the stock market about 5 years ago and have been very diligent and intentional about where and who I am investing in. I learned fairly early that If you start early, save steadily, and invest intelligently, your money can grow in truly amazing ways over time. Owning stocks can diversify how you earn returns on your money, plus, the best way to learn about investing is to start and get real-life, hands-on experience. One of my goals is to be landlord so leaning more into residential and commercial investment properties is next on my agenda.”
Catch up with Treasa and learn about her business via Facebook, LinkedIN, Twitter and Instagram.