Conversation with Priya from Stash Wealth

Start-Up: Stash Wealth

One of the Founders: Priya Malani

Located: NYC and Charlotte, United States

What is Stash Wealth?

Stash Wealth originally started by providing financial planning advice to clients over cocktails. They have now shifted to an entirely remote, online model with an office in NYC and a new office opening in Charlotte. The company has grown to 12 people, who help young professionals with anything related to money/wealth and investment management. Check out their website!

How did it get started?

Priya started thinking about this idea when she worked at Merrill Lynch where her career started in wealth management. She then took the leap and started working on the idea in her apartment, once she left her job—something she doesn’t suggest people do. If you are pretty risk averse, you can always start your idea as a project or side hustle and see how much success you achieve. When your day job starts getting in the way, then it may be time to quit and go full throttle on the side project.

A bit about Priya!

Priya grew-up in NYC and then moved to the mid-west during high school. She was very passionate about Ballet and danced for the Atlanta Ballet during university, where she studied economics.

If she wrote a book…she would call it Enpointe.

Something nerdy…she loves spreadsheets!

Challenges along the start-up journey

Priya noted that her start-up journey started 7 years ago, and she didn’t realise how hard it would be. She says that it has been challenging, but she wouldn’t change a thing. She emphasized the idea that start-ups take 10 years to become overnight successes. She attributes some of her success in entrepreneurship to the perseverance and skills she gained during her dancing career.

Mentors

Priya noted that she has never had any mentors along her start-up journey because you get so much advice from so many people and it can cause a lot of confusion, and she already had an idea of what she wanted to do. She now hopes to gain some mentors for Stash Wealth, given the stage the company is in.

Advice to the budding entrepreneur and millennial

Advice she has for people thinking of creating a start-up or sorting out their finances: earlier you start with your start-up or your finances, the better!

Feeling like its too late to start something new?

I agree with the idea that “starting earlier is better,” but I also think that it’s never too late to try something new. Whether its going to the gym, financial planning, or starting a side hustle. It’s better to start today than next year, but it comes down to whether you really want to create something new and if you are willing to take the risks involved.

If you would like to connect with Priya, please reach-out to her!