How I Grew Up Knowing About Finance – My Real Story

Man, growing up wasn’t what most people think. Yeah, my parents had money, but it didn’t really feel like it meant much. I’m from Ethiopia, and honestly, even though we had the money part, we didn’t have the connection. You know? Like, my mom and dad, they didn’t really care like parents should. They gave us stuff, but not guidance, not love, not time. And especially not lessons about life or finance or how to deal with money. So yeah, I grew up in a house with cash but no clue.

I finished high school—12th grade—in Ethiopia. That part of life was okay, but I already knew deep down that I had to leave. Not just the country, but the whole environment. So I made this crazy decision—I went to China. Yep, all the way from East Africa to Asia. I ended up at Zhejiang A&F University. It was wild. Everything was different. The language, the food, even how people walk. I was there to study International Trade, Economics, and Finance, but I swear, I learned way more from living than from class.

And the Chinese people? Man, they really surprised me. I made friends, good ones. They showed me their culture, their traditions… how they do business. That changed everything. I started to see how seriously they take finance. I saw guys my age hustling smart—investing, saving, doing deals. They weren’t flexing, they were building. That mindset really stuck with me. It hit me, like—this is what I wanna do too.

I got close to some business-minded people—some real-deal Chinese business folks. Through school and connections, I got invited to events, got to sit in rooms I never imagined being in. And honestly, I started soaking up game. I didn’t say much, just listened. Took notes. Watched how they moved. I didn’t even realize it, but I was learning real finance—real-world finance, not just theory.

After I graduated, I came back to Ethiopia. I could’ve stayed there, maybe, but I felt like I owed something to my home. I didn’t have a family waiting with open arms or anything, but I had a mission. I wanted to do something with all the knowledge I’d gotten. So I started working with small businesses, giving advice, making small investments, helping people see the bigger picture. Slowly, I was growing too.

Then came the next big step—the USA. I got married, and my wife and I decided to move to America. It wasn’t easy to leave everything again, but I knew I had to take that chance. I had to expand my vision. The U.S. is a whole different world when it comes to finance and business. And yeah, it’s tough out here too. But the opportunities are bigger if you know where to look.

Now, living here, I’m still growing. I’m learning every day, meeting people, building projects. Sometimes I look back and just think, like—wow. From a kid who didn’t even understand the value of a dollar to someone who now studies and teaches finance. I didn’t have it handed to me. I worked for it. I learned it. Bit by bit.

I still carry Ethiopia and China with me, you know? Like pieces of who I am. And I’m not done yet. My journey with finance, with life, it’s still going. And I want to help others grow too—people like me, who didn’t have support but had the drive.