Crowd Investing: A Path to Empowering Communities and Building Wealth

I’m not a financial advisor; Superpowers for Good should not be considered investment advice. Seek counsel before making investment decisions. Watch the show on television by downloading the e360tv channel app to your Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV. You can also see it on YouTube. When you purchase an item, launch a campaign or create an investment account after clicking a link here, we may earn a fee. Engage to support our work. Devin: What is your superpower? Paul: When we're talking about superpowers, I don't think there is a greater superpower than to inspire people. I think that's the ultimate superpower because, in the end, the only minds we have control over changing are our own. The very best we could do for others is to inspire them. Now you have to ask the question, well, how do you inspire somebody? And I think that's done with love. Crowd investing offers a unique opportunity to shape the future while achieving financial goals. Paul Lovejoy, Principal Investment Advisor of Stakeholder Enterprise, is passionate about this transformative investment approach. His personal journey, marked by financial trauma during the 2008 crisis, led him to discover the power of social enterprises and crowdfund investing. Paul shared how his experiences inspired a shift in his career. “Through a dedication to practice personal development, I started to heal. And healing meant I needed to face my own past and my financial trauma,” he explained. This journey not only led him to confront his challenges but also to embrace a new way of investing. He described how platforms like SMBX and GroundFloor enable investors to support small businesses and local economies while earning returns. Paul’s strategy emphasizes the importance of income-producing assets. “There’s no greater way to build wealth than through income-producing assets,” he noted. By investing in offerings with regular income streams, such as short-term real estate loans on GroundFloor or local business notes via SMBX, investors can achieve steady returns while creating positive social impact. Paul also highlighted the broader implications of investment choices. “Where we place our capital really matters,” he said, urging investors to consider how their investments shape the world. His approach balances financial returns with a commitment to community empowerment, making impact crowdfunding both rewarding and sustainable. For those looking to fully integrate crowd investments into their portfolios, Paul advocates seeking professional guidance. “You don’t want to go this alone,” he advised, stressing the importance of strategy and diversification. Today’s episode underscores that impact crowdfunding is not just about funding businesses—it’s about shaping a better future while achieving personal financial goals. tl;dr: * Paul Lovejoy shared his passion for investing, sparked by childhood curiosity and personal experiences. * Today’s episode revealed Paul’s transformative journey from financial trauma to embracing impact investing. * Paul highlighted peer-to-peer lending and Regulation Crowdfunding as tools for creating social and financial change. * Paul’s approach emphasizes investing in income-producing assets to build wealth and sustain communities. * He advocates guiding and inspiring others with love, respect, and thoughtful questions to empower success. How to Develop Inspiring with Love As a Superpower Paul Lovejoy’s superpower is the ability to inspire others through love, acceptance, and respect. By fostering an environment of understanding and encouragement, Paul helps people embrace challenges, explore new possibilities, and achieve their goals. Paul shared a touching story about his younger son, who aspired to join his school’s basketball team despite lacking prior experience. Instead of offering advice, Paul asked thoughtful questions to guide his son to discover his own solutions. By encouraging self-reflection, Paul empowered his son to practice, gain confidence, and actively work toward his goal. Seeing his son practice with friends and an assistant coach underscored the transformative power of inspiration. Tips for Developing the Superpower: * Cultivate Acceptance and Respect: Create spaces where people feel valued for who they are. * Ask Thoughtful Questions: Guide others to discover their own paths rather than dictating solutions. * Let Go of Blame: Recognize and release anger or blame to open yourself to love and acceptance. * Embrace Humility: Focus on being the best version of yourself rather than trying to control others. By following Paul’s example and advice, you can make inspiring with love a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world. Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you! Guest Profile Paul Lovejoy (he/him): Principal Investment Advisor, Stakeholder Enterprise About Stakeholder Enterprise: Stakeholder Enterprise is a Registered Investment Advisory firm and home of the Crowd Investor Program, a three-part initiative to ethically build wealth through private market crowd investing. We offer custom personal financial plans for both unexpected expenses and planned financial goals. Our mission is to accelerate the economic well-being of compassionate people by providing advice and plans on investments seeking risk-adjusted market returns in small businesses, as well as environmental solutions and investments that bridge the wealth divide. Website: www.stakeholderenterprise.com Other URL: feeds.captivate.fm/stakeholder-enterprise/stakeholder-enterprise/ Biographical Information: Paul was a defrauded real estate investor in 2008, experiencing intense financial shame and loss. For the next 8 years, he stayed in the real estate industry suffering in silence. In 2016, he began practicing personal development and discovered that personal finance has more to do with personal growth than actual finance. His journey of personal development led him to a career in wealth strategy. It was this career shift that gave him the knowledge to understand the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, the unethical nature of the financial service industry and the regenerative power of crowd-sourced financing. In 2022, Paul opened the doors to the nation's first crowd investment advisory, Stakeholder Enterprise, offering financial plans to compassionate people seeking financial stability through ethical wealth-building practices. Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/paul-lovejoy/ Instagram Handle: @paul.lovejoy Support Our Sponsors Our generous sponsors make our work possible, serving impact investors, social entrepreneurs, community builders and diverse founders. Today’s advertisers include FundingHope, Mivium, Abby and SuperCrowd Impact Membership. Learn more about advertising with us here. Max-Impact Members The following Max-Impact Members provide valuable financial support to keep us operating: Carol Fineagan, Independent Consultant | Lory Moore, Lory Moore Law | Marcia Brinton, High Desert Gear | Paul Lovejoy, Stakeholder Enterprise | Ralf Mandt, Next Pitch | Add Your Name Here Upcoming SuperCrowd Event Calendar If a location is not noted, the events below are virtual. * SuperCrowd Mastermind Group, twice monthly on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays at noon Eastern. This group is for entrepreneurs and small business owners interested in raising money from the crowd. Attend your first meeting free! * Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on November 19, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. To join the Impact Cherub Club, become an Impact Member of the SuperCrowd. * SuperCrowdHour, November 20, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, we host a value-laden webinar for aspiring impact investors or social entrepreneurs. At November’s SuperCrowdHour, Devin will explain six common investment types you need to understand before you can invest like a pro. Free to attend. Community Event Calendar * Successful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET - Click on Events * Community Revitalization, Thursdays, 10:00 AM Eastern. * CfPA Webinar with President-Elect Jenny Kassan sharing her vision for 2025, December 11 at 2:00 PM Eastern. * Changing the Paradigm: Mobilizing Community Investment Funds, March 7, 2025 * Asheville Neighborhood Economics, date TBD following impact of Helene. If you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 8,000+ members of the SuperCrowd, click here. We use AI to help us write compelling recaps of each episode. 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