I Left My C-Suite Career to Pursue My Passion: Writing Kids’ Books

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Shireen Eddleblute, who left a career in investment in 2024 to launch a children’s book series on financial literacy. Business Insider has verified her former employment. The story has been edited for length and clarity.

I loved markets. I loved researching companies. I even got to ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange — twice. My career in investment was an exciting part of my life.

At the end of the day, though, I wanted to do more.

So, I decided to become a children’s book author, writing stories about personal finance. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

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My first career pivot

I got into the investment industry three decades ago, driven to climb the corporate ladder as a portfolio manager for a big institutional fund.

I joined Voyageur Asset Management in 1999. It was acquired by RBC in 2001, and I worked there until 2009 as a portfolio manager and senior equity research analyst.

During my time there, I helped grow seed money and co-managed a quantitative micro-cap fund.

I worked there for a decade before I decided to take a step back and focus on my family. That was my first career pivot.

My mother was 80 at the time. I’m an only child, and my father died when I was 17. Culturally, I knew it was my responsibility to care for her, and my husband was on board with that.

At the time, both of our careers were doing well. But as my mother’s health declined, I decided it was time for me to officially become a stay-at-home mom and a stay-at-home daughter.

It was a major hit to our finances.

I went from being Shireen Eddleblute, portfolio manager for a multi-billion-dollar fund, to being Ben and Ethan’s mom, a wife, and a daughter.

Up until then, my whole identity had been about my career, but it was the best decision to be able to stay at home and focus on my loved ones.

An 11-year sabbatical

That break ended up being an 11-year career sabbatical.

In that time, I did a lot of volunteering. I became a free math tutor and helped vulnerable and disadvantaged children.

Once our youngest child went to college, I was itching to get back to work.

I’d always felt a tugging at my heart to help kids learn financial literacy because it isn’t taught enough in the US.

But then, a former colleague at RBC was joining a company called Newday Impact Investing, and my passion project was put on pause. In 2021, I was invited to be the company’s Chief Diversity Officer, co-portfolio manager, and director of ESG research for a sustainable investment fund.

Sustainable investment was right up my alley, and the idea of doing well by doing good really resonated with me.

Pursuing my passion project

A couple of years ago, my mom died. I was feeling lost after that. I had become an orphan.

By then, I was in my 50s, and I had reached a point where I really just wanted to do something to help people, like my parents had always done for others.

My parents were givers. They raised me with the mantra, “To whom much is given, much is required.”

During my childhood, my father often talked to me about the importance of saving and investing. When I was volunteering with foster children during my sabbatical, it made me realize just how fortunate I was. I always thought about the children who don’t have parents to talk to about money with.

I realized I wanted to build something that could outlive me.

In 2024, I decided to take this leap of faith to finally focus on my passion project, which would become my second career pivot.

I left investing to start my company, Sprouting Sparks, which makes kids’ books on financial literacy.

My goal was to try to reach these kids at a young age, between the ages of four and eight, so that when they get to high school, finance wouldn’t be a foreign topic to them.

The book series I created is meant to be a resource for parents, educators, and caregivers.

I’m not naturally creative

Going into this, I didn’t know much at all about writing or publishing books.

I took some writing masterclasses and got certified to be a financial education instructor.

Even though I have all these ideas, I’m not naturally creative, so I went to a children’s author conference in Canada. By the end of the conference, I was ready.

I then did extensive research to find a hybrid publisher. The company I used, Bear With Us Productions, handled the editing process and formatting and helped me find an illustrator.

I went from getting a paycheck and company stock to having no income and needing to fund a children’s book series project on my own.

I was able to take this step because I was fortunate enough to have done well in my career. Portfolio management can be very lucrative. I am also blessed that my husband has a thriving career.

I didn’t go into this thinking I was going to make a single cent. My goal was never to be a millionaire from writing children’s books. I went into it thinking, “If I can just reach one person, I can at least say I tried.”

The positive feedback, the five-star Amazon reviews, and people sending me pictures of their children holding the book made me realize I did my part and gave me more motivation for the next book.

Managing institutions’ money was definitely a passion for a time, and I’m very proud of what I accomplished in that chapter of my career. At this stage of my life, it’s right that I made this move.

Although my pay may have decreased substantially, happiness and fulfillment don’t have a price tag.

Knowing that I may be helping vulnerable and disadvantaged folks, whether they come from two-parent homes or no-parent families, makes me feel like I can die happy, knowing I tried to make a difference.