Meet Carl, the Mastermind Behind the Newsletter 🤯
“It’s about getting people to discuss finance/their finances with as much confidence as they discuss Love Island.” Yes, Carl, yes.
Carl was born and raised in London — a rare find! However, he’s quite international: having lived in NYC and London. While growing up, he loved all things related to science class, and yet, his curiosity led him from the medical field to finance.
Part 1: Who’s the real Carl?
What’s your favorite band/artist and favorite song of all time?
I’d say my top three bands/artists are Linkin Park, Kanye West and Wizkid. My favorite song of all time would be “Millionaire” by Kelis
What hidden talent do you have?
I’m a great cellist, and am a classically trained actor by RADA and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
What’s your favorite book?
The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins. Hands down.
What are your favorite things in London?
A great question. My favorite restaurant is Hawksmoor, while my favorite bar is Radio. I’m also very into boozy brunches, which London has plenty of!
If you had to plan a theme party, what theme would you choose?
I’d choose a superhero theme, even if that sounds lame now that I’m saying it out loud.
It’s finally summer! What are your favorite summer activities and locations?
My absolute favorite location for the summer is Miami! 😎 During the summer in London, however, I really enjoy playing tennis with friends and obviously enjoyed the opportunity to get on those outdoor bottomless brunches! Oh, and all of those short weekend trips.
Last Q: who will win the World Cup 2018?
France. 🥐
Part 2: Let’s get down to business.
Where and what did you end up studying?
I have always been a complete science nerd, stemming from my school days, my favorite being biology. This led me to a Genetics degree at University College London.
Talk me through the connection of Biology → Finance and Fintech.
I wanted to be a doctor and I sort of got lost on the way to the hospital… It was the scientist within me! I thought so much about what was going on in finance and markets. It seemed to me that everyone had a different opinion, and in theory should have a more accurate answer. So, I had to get involved.
And you started your own company?
Yes, I ran a business with a friend of mine in 2010, for about a year. We tried a lot of things and failed, as I suppose most startups do, but great learnings came from it. For example, we tried to run a food delivery service in Oxford that would bring food from sit-down restaurants to people’s homes. Essentially, we wanted to start the Deliveroo of the time. But we never thought that a food delivery service could ever take off in a city so we stopped.
What happened next?
I stumbled into finance. The next step for me was signing on as an Equity Research Analyst at Goldman Sachs. Again, my scientific mind thoroughly enjoyed analyzing companies and figuring out their worth, and generally cracking the finance stigma of not having a direct solution for things. I stayed with them for seven years.
What did you do after Goldman before Finimize?
I took on a job at the biggest retail and e-commerce conference in the world and looked after content for the European event. This also opened the door to live in NYC for six months.
Nice! What was your favorite thing about living in NYC?
It was so much fun! My favorite area was the Lower East Side, where I thoroughly enjoyed the food scene. There weren’t many chains and you had access to any kind of cuisine at any time of the day. The dream! I also loved how active the city was. (NYC has an edge up on London in this regard). That being said, when I got on the plane to move back to London, I felt like I could take a long deep breath.
That’s so awesome! And what initially attracted you to Finimize?
Hands down: the team. I think in all of my jobs I was spending an extraordinary time with people and when you don’t get on with them, then you don’t do well. At Finimize, I met Maxi, Jamie, Matt initially and was so inspired by them. I really wanted to work with them!
I’m also all about the Finimize mission. It’s solving a problem that many people have, and have sort of come to accept as common wisdom. No one understands finance, but it’s not rocket science! It’s not even medicine. I think that proving people wrong and showing them that they can not only understand finance, but take control of their own destiny, is really exciting. My role, VP of Content, plays a big part in that.
Tell us more about your role as VP of Content, challenges included. 😉
I watch and read the financial news, while figuring out what our readers care about most. I also answer questions that users send through and write articles six days a week for both the newsletter and the app.
Ah, I’d say my biggest challenge (aside from trains…) has been figuring out how to differentiate Finimize the most from other newsletters that write similarly.
~Anna, Community at Finimize
