Zen Investor teaches the concepts, strategies, and skills that are usually available only to elite investors. An elite investor is a person, family, or institution that has enough money to attract the top talent in the world of private banking and asset management. It should not surprise you to know that there's a clearly defined pecking order in the world of investing, and unless you have $5 million of investable assets, you're not invited to the game.
At Zen Investor, we turn the pecking order on its head. We do this by giving our clients, in exchange for a modest fee, the same level of advice and personal attention that elite investors pay thousands of dollars for. Our online workshops are modular, so that the student can pick and choose which areas of investing they need to work on the most, and only pay for those modules. Our advanced coaching goes even further, by creating a customized, one-to-one program that's geared to the individual's skills, abilities, and resources. Beginners can get up to speed and start investing with confidence in as little as two workshops or coaching sessions. More experienced investors can skip over the more basic modules and start working on advanced skills. After you finish each module, you will put those particular skills to work right away. Our training is results-oriented, so we continuously monitor how well the programs are actually working for you. For a more detailed explanation of how it works, visit the
SERVICES page.
Everything we teach is based on our own personal experience. Having spent more than 30 years as a professional trader, a portfolio manager, and an advisor to high net worth clients, I have a very practical understanding of what works, and I know how to teach it to you.
My name is Erik Conley, and I'm responsible for the content on this web site. I write more than 80% of what you see on these pages, and everything I write is based on my own professional experience. I rely on a small group of financial professionals for the 20% of content that is outside the scope of my own experience. The things you will learn here are all based on fact, not on academic theory. I do not try to guess the future of stock prices, or the short-term direction of the market as a whole. I talk about what works, rather than what should work in theory.
I worked for Kemper Securities as an analyst, a trader, and ultimately co-manager of a proprietary hedge fund. I spent a total of 14 years in the hedge fund business, and it taught me what it takes to survive in an extremely competitive environment. Over those years I developed a very disciplined strategy that I used very successfully later on in my career when I managed money for wealthy clients. The most important skill I learned as trader is how to manage risk. I am now in a position to bring that knowledge and experience to you, the individual investor.
After my time at Kemper, I moved to Harris Associates in Chicago. Harris is the investment advisor to the Oakmark family of mutual funds, and they are among the smartest people I've known in the investment business. I spent three years on the equity trading desk there, until I was recruited away by Northern Trust Bank.
At Northern Trust, I ran the global equity trading desk. The challenges were great, and I had to learn how to balance the often competing interests of high net worth clients, portfolio managers, and bank management - all the while trading a portfolio of more than $90 billion. It was like being in the eye of a hurricane, but I thrived on it. These are some of the skills I now teach as a coach.
I encourage you to explore the site, and try to get a flavor for the unusual way we approach investing. If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a line at
info@zeninvestor.org.
