A career in understanding money
Nancy Mahlen with her husband, Ben Laabs, and their 14-year-old son Caleb on a recent outdoor adventure.
Though she has had many professions over the years, Castle Pines Valley resident Nancy Mahlen finally found a job that combines her love of education and her desire to help people.
Over the years, Nancy dabbled in commercial real estate, taught middle school and high school, entered the tech world and earned her PhD in geology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, but found herself not satisfied with her career.
When her mom unfortunately became ill and passed away a few years ago, Nancy handled the financial aspects of the estate and realized that her mom was virtually broke, despite working her entire life. Since then, Nancy has become a financial educator, helping people understand where they are financially, where they want to go, and how to get there.
“There’s so many people who don’t understand money and end up getting overwhelmed by their financial situation and don’t do anything about it,” she said.
The Fargo, North Dakota transplant found her financial educator position at Littleton-based Five Rings Financial and regularly teaches a free, hour-long Money 101 class, both virtually and in-person, as well as a workshop called Wine, Women and Wealth. The sessions are typically held in Douglas and Arapahoe counties. Information about upcoming events can be found on the Facebook page for Meadowlark Wealth Strategies.
Due to the lingering stigma around talking about money, there are “still so many things people don’t know about, like understanding how compound interest works,” Nancy said. “It’s about understanding that there are options out there. So many of us follow in the footsteps of our parents,” Nancy added.
When she is not teaching, Nancy attends women’s networking group gatherings held by the Rock View Dots, a regional branch of the Polka Dot Powerhouse organization. Nancy also likes to hike with her husband, Ben Laabs, a geologist for the U.S. Department of the Interior, and her 14-year-old son, Caleb, who plays violin and piano and recently was selected to play with the Colorado Youth Symphony Orchestra. Caleb is an eighth grader at Rocky Heights Middle School.
“We’re excited to be in this area. We love getting out and hiking and traveling and doing stuff for family adventures. This is an incredible place to be for it,” Nancy concluded.
The Mahlen family’s pets, Weezy (left) and Pepper.
By Chris Michlewicz; photos courtesy of Nancy Mahlen
