How one savvy saver invests with intention — while living true to his values

Investing is not a one-size-fits-all activity. It’s a series of choices, and what guides those choices is unique to everyone. For Ted, whose work is a fundamental part of his identity, financial choices are extensions of personal values. His investment decisions reflect his lived experience, as well as respect and gratitude for the people in his life.

Ted approaches investment in his own way. His intention isn’t to make as much money as possible by any means necessary. Rather, he explores how he can make his money a living, breathing thing that leads to new opportunities.

To do that takes time.

Ted’s journey of financial discovery began at home. His grandmother, Anna, understood that the choices one makes with money have far-reaching impacts.

“My grandma was aware that life can throw you curveballs,” says Ted. “But if you make good choices that you have control over, you can deal with those curveballs in a meaningful way.”

While Anna never gave Ted specific investment advice, the simple act of talking about money is a trait Ted feels he absorbed from her. Being comfortable and candid while discussing finances has enabled him to make impactful choices with his savings.

Growing up in an era that championed practicality, Ted’s Grandma wanted him “to be safe and comfortable,” he says. “She wanted to know that I had a roof over my head and food in my belly and space to love.”

But Anna didn’t anticipate how Ted would grow from there. When she passed away, she left Ted a sum of money. He used the funds to invest in a home of his own, believing real estate to be something that could benefit him in multiple ways down the road.

“Stability was something I craved growing up, and I had this idea that owning a home would make that possible,” he explains. “About 3 months into owning my own home, I was sitting at my desk, and I felt peaceful. There was a silence I’d never experienced before. From there I felt like I could experiment…I could take different risks.”

Having established a solid home base, Ted couldn’t ignore the pull to connect to the world beyond Edmonton. He knew that income from renting his home could help support his explorations elsewhere.

“Though Grandma never used the term ‘passive income,’ she did suggest that I could always rent out [my home] if I didn’t live there,” Ted recalls.

Ted always knew he wanted to take on work that provided value beyond salary. And when there was an opportunity to work on advocacy efforts for people with HIV/AIDS outside of Edmonton, Ted had options. The Edmonton apartment gave him the financial flexibility to travel. “I can feel that stability at all times while I’m living and existing and co-creating with other people in different places,” he says.

Venturing beyond his hometown in pursuit of a new and meaningful career would ultimately lead Ted around the globe.

“HIV [work] was my gateway into the world,” he says, noting that as a writer and activist, having boots on the ground is a necessity. “What HIV looks like in Edmonton is different than what it looks like in St. Louis, and different again from what it looks like in New York or Amsterdam...There isn’t just one version of what it means to be living with HIV, and there isn’t just one way to be an AIDS activist.”

For others in Ted’s position, splitting time among multiple locations around the globe, having financial tools on hand to manage both financial and personal growth is important. For instance, having a U.S. dollar savings account can make it easier to save from anywhere.

With a sound financial strategy in place, today the stability Ted finds in his condo investment allows him to think about his other needs. He follows compass points including self-expression, freedom, creativity and connection.

Still, financial considerations aren’t always Ted’s number 1 priority. He admits he doesn’t rent his apartment in Edmonton for the most money he can get. Instead, he shows empathy in his role as a landlord. Knowing he has security based on others’ rent payments, he wants to ensure his tenants have stability in turn.

“Inequality is real. Individuals alone can’t shift the complex systems of inequality, but I can be accountable to who and how I am on this planet,” he says.

By following his unique calling, Ted has discovered the secret to making sound investments: there is no secret. It’s a messy, imperfectly beautiful work in progress.

“Simplicity isn’t stillness. It’s not a lack of engagement. For me, it’s about focus; it’s about breath; it’s about intentionality,” he says.