Welcome back {{ First Name | reader }},

One of the greatest strengths of this community is the incredible wisdom and drive you bring to the table. You inspire others to think bigger, reflect deeper, and aim higher. This space exists to harness that energy—to share stories, grow together, and redefine what success means.

Today, I’m thrilled to introduce Curt, a member whose story will challenge how you think about resilience, risk, and relationships. From starting as a secretary to becoming a Chief Investment Officer, Curt’s journey isn’t just about professional achievement—it’s about finding purpose, embracing curiosity, and living intentionally.

At Infinite Momentum, we believe real strength comes from authenticity. By redefining what it means to thrive, we’re creating a space where vulnerability isn’t just accepted—it’s celebrated.

This conversation with Curt dives into his biggest lessons, from taking risks to building meaningful connections. It’s packed with insights to inspire your own journey.

To foster more dialogue, we would love to hear: What is your biggest takeaway or reflection? Share your thoughts by replying to this email for a chance to win a puzzle box—a nod to Curt’s rediscovered passion for problem-solving.

Happy reading,
Eric

I am a now quasi-retired ex-finance professional who after living and traveling all over the world has settled down in San Diego.  I am married with a beautiful wife and have three wonderful children.  I started out my career as a secretary in San Francisco and ended it as a Chief Investment Officer in London with a lot of terrific adventures along the way. 

I have probably too many hobbies (Diving, Skiing, Hiking, Cooking, Photography, etc.) and still very much have the travel bug.  I have been to 85 countries and I love seeing new cultures and meeting new people. It is really terrific now that I get to share my love of travel with my younger children (9, 10) and I get to see the world through their eyes.

That is a great question because it is an on-going one.  Professionally, I think that the teams I built up and together we survived various financial crises were definitely high points but personally the answer is very different.  I am very proud of the relationships I have built up in my life and continue to maintain.  They are a lot of work, but those relationships are really what keep me going at the end of the day.  Oh, and I also make a really good cocktail.

Thanks, I have done alright and I reflect upon that a lot.  I didn’t grow up particularly special - middle class, divorced parents, high school grades were average.  I was (and am) a nerd at heart.  I played a lot of Dungeons and Dragons, and was into computers before that was even a job (shout out those that know what a  Commodore 64 is). 

I was a real introvert growing up and I knew I needed to change to deal with a non-nerd based society so I took a whole bunch of comedy improv courses after college so that I wouldn’t be so shy. It really helped my career a lot and I recommend it strongly to anyone who wants to overcome their shyness.

I realized early on that there were two things that were slightly different about my world view than my peers.  I am relentlessly logical, to a fault.  That has made me relate to other logical people (read nerds) well and difficult to live with for those with a more emotional perspective on the world.  I have spent 20 years trying to improve my EQ and while I have improved I still have a long way to go.  Relatedly, is the way I perceive risk.  I don’t view risk as asymmetrically negative as others so I am ready to take risks when others are not, whether that is personal or professional.  That willingness to take risks has led to my biggest and most rewarding adventures.

My biggest challenges have been health problems with those closest to me.  My mother was a chain smoker who died at a relatively young age of a stroke.  My father was an alcoholic who also died too young of a stroke.  So I have a lot of addiction issues in my family.  Additionally, my eldest (step)son had a very difficult adolescence - arrests, expulsions, addiction, and all of the issues that accompany that difficult time in anyone’s life.  Lastly, more recently my wife has had some relatively serious mental health challenges that have required me to change my life (retire) to be able to help with. 

Now, I know that those issues affect a huge number of people so I am not unusual but it doesn’t make them any less difficult to deal with.  The good news is that everyone close is in a good place now.  It has made me appreciate things I have been blessed with more than I ever thought possible and really reorient my priorities dramatically.

I am a really goal-oriented person.  When I was younger, the goals were pretty easy to set out and pretty traditional:  successful career and status.   As I got older, after a series of long relationships, I realized I wanted a wife and latterly a family.  Like many of us I would measure my success in fixed comparative terms:  was I making as much money as my peers, did my kids have access to the right education, etc. I think that my goals and insecurities were pretty normal for a guy in his 20s and 30s.

When the pandemic hit, I began to realize there was a different yardstick to be measured by. Suddenly, my career, while important, was not as important as it once was.  Money and career success became secondary to another yardstick. 

For me now, that yardstick is time, or more specifically how I choose to spend it. I have a very visceral image of a “time bank” that I am constantly making withdrawals from. Unfortunately, that bank balance only goes down from birth and how I choose to spend my time is now the ‘north star’ for me.  I still do work and I do many of the things that I did before but it with a different lens. It is a lens that says “Do I want to spend the precious time I have on this activity?” That doesn’t mean I don’t spend time waiting in line at the DMV but it does mean I am less inclined to seek out activities that may be important to others but not to me.

I am advising an AI company which is seriously interesting.  There is a gold rush element to this that is reminiscent of the Dotcom bubble in the 90s when I started my career.  I think that AI will be transformative but maybe in ways people don’t even realize.  I also think that there needs to be some more public discussion about it because like most tools, it can be used for good or evil.  Everyone is rushing to extract what they can out of the new technology and not enough people are asking if they should be.

More personally, in the last few years I have become very reacquainted with puzzles and games. I have always loved games but the pandemic turbo-charged that interest.   It spurs the same kind of curiosity as the markets do - albeit without the financial implications. I have really enjoyed figuring out how the human brain works (or doesn’t) and solving these puzzles or playing games has been a window into how that transpires.  Anecdotally, it has also been a great way to interact with my kids and meet new people.

Lastly, I travel a lot.  I traveled personally and professionally for many years and I really haven’t slowed down at all.  To date, I have been to 85 different countries, taking two trips around the world,  and I passionately enjoy meeting new people and exploring new cultures. Despite the political tribalism of today, I very much see that we have more in common that we have that divides us.  I have met my closest friends traveling and seen sights that are truly awe inspiring.  I think it may be the thing that I am naturally the best at - drop me in a foreign country and let me go.  It is even better now that I get to do it with a family.

Well, as I mentioned, I think that most people are driven by similar things regardless of where you are from.  Everyone wants to have a fulfilling life, they want their family to be healthy and happy, and they want enough ‘stuff’ to ensure that you can accomplish the first two.  That said, the differences between us are where much of the joy and discovery is.  One does business differently in Mexico than Italy and different in China than Japan. Knowing these distinctions puts people at ease and makes you better at your job.  

Personally, travel has shown me different sides of what it means to be a human being.  I have seen people carrying their mother in a basket down a mountain in Nepal to get to a hospital, drinking the urine of a two-headed cow in India because they thought it would bring them karma, and seen hundreds of monks in Laos line up in the red dawn light to be be blessed by a Llama.  Witnessing those things has made me feel a connection with the human race in a way that managing money never could. 

Additionally, I enjoy the outdoors and traveling has exposed me to some of the prettiest sites in the world - from the mountains of the Himalayas to the underwater reefs off the East African coasts there are some amazing things out there.  Where I live in San Diego, is crazy pretty, but even as pretty as it is I still get wanderlust pretty badly.  I am very lucky my family has the travel bug almost as bad as I do!

I would say keep taking risks - professionally and personally.  There is a saying “Fortune favors the brave” and I really believe that.  Most of the things I regret are because I didn’t take a risk not because a risk I took went wrong.  I think that one of the great mistakes we all make when we age is that we try and get “comfortable”.  To hell with that. I think that doing new, uncomfortable things, makes you grow physically, intellectually, and emotionally.  I think that being too comfortable mentally, emotionally, physically, is a quick way to an early grave even if that the easy path.  

I would also tell my younger self to be more emotionally brave.  I waited a long time to have kids of my own and I never knew what I was missing.  Being a father has been incredibly fulfilling and although I have been lucky to experience when I have achieved other goals, I wish I had more time to spend with them now.  

Somewhat morbidly, that has been on my mind a lot as well over the last few years.  Not because I am unwell or particularly fear death but because I am very conscious of the ephemeral nature of our life on this planet.  I am sure that “Modestly above-average finance guy” is NOT what I want written on my tombstone and I certainly don’t need anything with my name on it.  I think that I want to be remembered for the connections I have helped foster between people, the barriers I have broken down, and for the laughter that I have helped bring to peoples faces.  I want people to say “He was a good friend”.

Well that is what I am trying to figure out.  I am making withdrawals from the “time bank” selectively and, hopefully, fulfillingly.  I am trying to foster relationships between people, especially young peoples, and I continue to travel. 

While I am looking for something bigger to do, I keep myself busy with an annual event that combines travel, fostering relationships, and a lot of games and puzzles.  It is something I love to do and it has really created a lot of enjoyment and passion.  It has become “the” big event in our family and friends lives but that probably warrants its own interview. 😄 *

Yes, we will definitely need a follow-up with a puzzle deep dive. Thank you, Curt!

Editor’s Note: It takes courage and effort to put your story out their to the community so please remember to show love in the comments and engagement. If there were any parts the resonated for you, where you drew insight or inspiration, let us know!

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