Business & Wealth

When Moneta principal and family CFO Matt Ring was in elementary school, his mother made an arrangement with him: He was given four envelopes—one each for savings, spending, gifts and charity—and every week when he was awarded his allowance, Ring had to divvy up the money among the categories. It is a lesson that resonated with him, and he now uses the envelope system with his own young son. “Even at an early age, it was a good tool to set the stage for budgeting and managing money,” Ring says. “In a simple way, it helps create self-discipline when it comes to finances.”

For more than 60 years, Stone Carlie has worked hard to live up to its tagline, ‘Going beyond the numbers,’ as it provides tax and financial services to businesses and individuals. “We’re not just going to offer the basic services you need—we’re going to do our best to exceed your expectations and bring great ideas to create an effective plan,” says managing partner Jeff Ward.

How do you make it to the top? “Find what you’re passionate about,” says Moneta Group’s Nancy Georgen. “You can be good at something, but if that’s not what you want to do, it doesn’t matter how good you are. You’re not going to get the satisfaction and you’re not doing the best you can.” We talked to three ladies who learned this by heart early on, and as a result they’ve reached their dreams.

When I arrived in St. Louis in the summer of 2000, I discovered a remarkable city home to 91 municipalities on the shores of the mighty Mississippi River. It is a place described by demographers as the ‘northernmost southern city’ and the ‘southernmost northern city.’ It is a city whose ethnicity, geography and attitudes all place it uniquely in the middle of America.