"The numbers were not adding up" - Curtis Greenidge on his financial education journey

Introducing Curtis Greenidge, Co-Founder of Financially Free Education 

We had the pleasure of meeting Curtis Greenidge, co-founder of Financially Free Education, a platform to help people improve their relationship with money by making better financial decisions through better financial education.  Curtis has been popping up on our Instagram algorithm for the past few months, and we have been in awe of his work, his message and his consistency. With that said, we had to make it work and find out more about what drives his unequivocal passion for teaching financial education and mentoring others in this space.

 We asked Curtis, where did it all start?

Curtis reflects on his early upbringing living in a Caribbean household and his introduction to finance. He talks frankly about having a great childhood and (as is typical within many Caribbean households) was expected to follow a prestigious career path.

Though a doctor or pilot sounded appealing, Curtis with the influence of parents and grandparents, opted to pursue a career in the legal field and went on to study Law with Business at University in Bristol and upon graduating went on to work for a silver-circle law firm in London. This path thus far has been good for Curtis and his journey in corporate law and climbing the corporate ladder has been immense and extremely successful. Curtis achieved major milestones and this was recognised when he was honoured with the industry renowned ‘Rising Star Award’ in Legal in 2023 for his work in the industry.  Life was looking good on paper, however this wasn’t being reflected by his bank balance,” stated Curtis.

Curtis explained that this was the pivotal moment in his life where he realised, he needed greater financial education. He had done everything he was ‘supposed to do’ but wasn’t reaping the financial rewards. He used the time after to reflect on his relationship with money and specifically about the lack of education he received in school. He realised that there was nobody to educate him about money and finance and advise him on how to get ahead with what he was earning. “Even when I was getting 10% salary increases, life was seemingly getting 20% more expensive. The school system teaches us about algebra, Pythagoras and trigonometry, none of which I have used since the day that I left school, but I learned nothing about personal finance so something had to change.”

How important was family in your journey?

“My family was able to help me understand that I was falling foul to lifestyle inflation”, says Curtis. Curtis, like many of us would get a pay rise and buy new clothes, purchase shiny things and enjoyed expensive nights out without planning ahead. “There was no wonder life was getting 20% more expensive for me. I was spending all my money for the here and now, without any foresight to what the future looked like financially or how my money can work harder for me.”

Curtis fondly reflects on having a Caribbean family, and yes, they were there to lean on and always had sensible advice, however harsh it may sound. Curtis soon became more familiar, as many of us are, with the Jamaican saying, “If you can’t hear you must feel”.

But after a specific conversation with his mother about money matters, he reflected on his own relationship with money, and the penny dropped, and he realised that he can’t be the only one that felt like this. “We all got the same education in school so I realised that there would be others like me, people of all ages and backgrounds that I could mentor, train and help. This was the turning point and where Financially Free Education was born.

Who do you usually help?

Curtis explains, “We help anyone who not only want to learn about improving their financial literacy but also utilise that literacy to move closer toward financial freedom and achieving their financial goals. “In my experience my community are not having the right conversations about finances early enough to move the needle and our job is to make the right financial tools available to change that fact. This is particularly evident when people pass away and finances need to be discussed, we are all in disharmony and arguments ensue”.

We hear from lots of entrepreneurs that having a mentor is key. How important is mentoring and do you have a mentor or mentor?

Curtis strongly advises on identifying a mentor 5-10 years more experienced than yourself in the industry that you are working in. Someone to cast a vision for you, a trailblazer, a genuine trusted sounding board to confidently run things by. “There is no such as thing as get rich quick; but I am a massive advocate that your network is your net worth. Having mentors who have your best interests at heart, who you can ask questions and seek guidance can really help you to become the person you want to become.”

Curtis also advised that before approaching this person to be your mentor, you need to develop a relationship whilst showing them that you are serious and are willing to invest time and energy to fulfil your potential.

What feeds your personal learning?

“When it comes to developing yourself, when you look at people who are successful, whatever the background, they all started with investing in their self-development first. Ask yourself who and what are you listening to and how are you applying it to your day-to-day life? I often listen to Podcasts, audio-books and training seminars whenever I can”.

“Seek platforms in the financial education arena, post in them. At a recent conference in Birmingham, I talked about how the next generation are becoming more interested in finance but it is important that we meet the next generation where they are currently,” says Curtis.

Curtis is committed to teaching people about how money really works, and training and developing people who, like him, are not from a finance background and helping the everyday person as this is the only way financial education will become accessible to everyone. Not everyone has access or resources to acquire a financial advisor and this is what drives Curtis to coach others wanting to earn additional income on a part-time, flexible basis, build a strong network and partner with industry renowned advisors in the UK.

How important is networking for you when building your brand?

Networking is the ‘bread and butter’, and you are the average of the five people you are around, comments Curtis. Networking is the way you change the circles that you are in and you cannot get ahead if you are not meeting the right people. Curtis explained that he regularly attends networking events and was even travelling to Orlando in the week following our meeting to attend a networking conference for people working in Financial Services, specifically from a black background.

How have you taken yourself out of your comfort zone?

Curtis explained that he is naturally an introvert, and a professional extrovert and the first time he was asked to speak at a seminar, he honestly didn't want to do it. He wanted to remain faceless on social media, but he did it anyway because he saw the need for someone to step up far outweighed his personal fears. He is now a proficient public speaker, spreading the word in person and online.  

What advice would you give others about getting into the financial education space?

First and foremost, Curtis advises anyone interested in getting into this space to get access to an environment where you have access to mentors. “An environment conducive to winning, and where people who look like you are thriving. You have to see success with your own eyes before you can seize success with your two hands.  There is nothing wrong with being self-made, however learn from the mistakes other people have made and the systems already available because that is what will help you to become professional in your profession, says Curtis.

What’s next for Curtis and Financial Free Education?

Curtis' next goal is to expand the brand into new communities through training and developing more people to offer financial education in this space. We want to express our thanks to Curtis for fitting us into his busy schedule. Curtis is our one to watch and we look forward to continuing to follow Curtis and his journey. You can connect with Curtis on LinkedIn and by email at: Curtis.greenidge@genistar.org. You can also follow Curtis on Instagram and Tiktok at @FinanciallyFreeEducation