You’re a Grownup Now…Don’t Panic!
You’ve seen the ads with this statement accompanying the black and white photos of hip young adults clad in sweaters, scarves and plenty of facial hair. If you’ve passed the brick and mortar on your way through Washington Square, it’s very likely you have stopped to ask yourself what exactly is Society of Grownups, one of Brookline’s most recent neighborhood additions.
An extension of the insurance company Mass Mutual, Society of Grownups was conceived during an experiment involving a number of adults who were asked to map out all they hoped to accomplish during their lives on a timeline. With stickers representing the various mile marks, some included ambitions likesave and go to graduate school, get married and have a baby (or several), buy a home, travel to Europe, or quit the current job to start one’s own business.
What the experiment led to was an important realization the startup’s Director Nondini Naqui describes as the “avalanche moment”. With each of the life goals displayed on a timeline in front of them, many of the participants were immediately overwhelmed with how much they wanted to do in such a short period of time remembering they also have to also save for that seemingly faraway but equally important retirement fund.
It was through this realization that Society of Grownups was born as a learning initiative that provides financial services and literature. The startup doesn’t sell any products other than their classes, sessions, and appointments— or—if you would like to stop in on the weekends for a pour over coffee and a Union Square donut, they have that, too. The certified financial planners are salaried and never take commission with the objective to provide financial guidance tailored to each client’s short and long-term goals. In addition to longer appointments, Society of Grownups offers walk-ins where you can chat for about twenty minutes with one of their planners about whatever money concerns you have.
The classes and events offered are divided into a few core themes. One can attend a Supper Club session like “Getting Better With Age”, which includes an educational fusion with money and wine, dinner of course included. There are Guest Speaker sessions. This month the featured author was Kelly Williams Brown who at age twenty-eight wrote this year’s hit Adulting: Becoming and Adult In 468 Easy(ish) Steps. The classes, divided into intros, core and core plus, have had themes like “Master of Your Domain: Making the Jump To Full-Time Freelance”, “When Money Buys Happiness: Spending On the Things You Care About”, and “In Case of Zombie Apocalypse: Why You Should Think About A Will.” With these sessions and classes Society of Grownups wants to make personal finance for regular people more fun. “We try to create an environment as if you invited a financial planner in your home for dinner,” says Naqui.
Regarding the startup’s connection to MassMutual, those behind Society of Grownups feel they have been able to strike a nice balance between functioning mainly autonomously, while having the backing of a legitimate, stable company as its parent. MassMutual provides financial planning services as well as products like life insurance and mutual funds.
Why Brookline? The startup looked at many different areas in Boston with the intention to be a more of a friendly neighborhood store. Located right on Beacon Street, the inner space was designed by IDEO and is decorated with mint green swag and gold trimmings, long tables, open windows, classrooms of various sizes and a mini-library. Contemporary and unique, it was planned with the hope that the environment would make talking about money comfortable and easy.
If you are considering stopping by to check out what Society of Grownups has to offer, the company’s advice is to come in and tell them exactly what you think. You might learn something unexpected while having a little fun. Naqui says that Society of Grownups recognizes your personal finances are more than just numbers on a page, but can be rather emotional, and your life choices are deeply rooted in who you are. Oh yeah—and of course— don’t panic.
Society of Grownups is located on 1653 Beacon Street in Brookline. Their classes and events range in price from free to about $40.
—Story and photos by Adriana Hammond
