Am I qualified to talk about investing compared to people like Ben Felix and The Plain Bagel? Because surely they know more than me, just some guy! I have been seeing quite a few posts getting mad at "finfluencers," so I can only speak for myself, no one else. I am going to copy and paste a response I just gave to @etf.go because I think the critique is valid, and I simply want to provide more insight into my background. I know most of you just see some brown guy in a hat who never changes his clothing and spends all day with his wife and kids, and yes, I am definitely that. But I worked EXTREMELY hard to build a life I can live on my own terms without financial stress. I started Youtube because I was becoming depressed working for funds and banks in Canada (regarding their ETFs) and felt like I was just spending all my spare time making the rich....richer, which is why I started my Youtube channel, it was the final step in me living the exact life I wanted, a way for me to share everything I know, share everything I am curious about and learning about, and hopefully make a positive impact my family would be proud of. SImple as that, no more, no less. Attached is ETF Go's response to a post questioning finfluencers. It is a VERY valid critique, so there is no defending anything, and here is my response below: "To give you some insight into my background, I have been working in capital markets for over a decade. I have worked alongside every major bank and fund in Canada, as well as several in the US. I understand the industry inside and out because it was my job to know exactly how everything works. In fact, I walked away from massive six figure contracts to start my YouTube channel, since breaking the NDA terms of my contracts could lead to institutions possibly suing me for speaking freely. Some of these NDA are still in effect, even though I stopped working with the funds/banks over a year ago, all NDA's will be completely null by May 2027, so look for more behind the scenes insights then. I personally hold well into the high seven figures in Index ETFs like VFV, Covered Call ETFs, and single stocks. I sell absolutely no courses or consultation services. My private community is just $1 a month, which is strictly to keep out scammers who pretend to be me and to give back. I only partner with companies I have years of experience with, ensuring they do not push predatory products, basically companies that I personally have a minimum of 6 figures invested in for a minimum time horizon of 10 years. The main difference between Ben Felix and myself is his objective. He uses his channel to acquire high net worth clients for PWL, he is actively monetizing his Youtube audience and selling his services, I AM NOT. I run my channel because I have already achieved financial freedom and can afford to say exactly what I want, without needing to sell a course or charge for services. These are the facts. Over time, as you become more familiar with my actual track record, success rate, and work history, I am confident you will see this too. It is easy to assume I am just another guy who turned on a camera to talk about a topic he just discovered. The reality is I made a living as an expert investor and used to be a consultant for every major bank and fund everyone loves on this platform for over a decade. Now, my focus is simply simplifying finance so everyday investors can learn and succeed. I have the freedom to be who I truly am online and to not care about the opinions of funds, institutions, or even viewers. Because I do not need the money, I can simply share what I know, how I feel, what excites me or what cool new thing I learned and what I like, with the hope that someone out there finds value in it. I hope that helps you understand me a bit more!"
9,628 views
95 Comments
Ian S@ian_s Ā· 15d
Genuine questionā¦if you truly donāt care what people think and donāt need the validation, why write this whole post explaining your net worth, NDAs, and career history? Thatās a lot of effort for something that ādoesnāt botherā you. Also curious why this is landing in a beginner investors space? whatās a new investor supposed to take from a credentials showdown between finfluencers? Feels like itās more about winning an argument than helping anyone learn.
Nik @nikmal Ā· 15d
Apparently, if you donāt strictly follow the Ben Felix playbook or index-fund dogma, youāre doing it wrong. š Love the content, Gary, and your reasoning makes complete sense. Thatās the beauty of YouTube, creators get to share what works for them, and we get the freedom to follow what aligns with our own plans. Keep slaying, brother!
Zain @zains Ā· 15d
This is exactly why I stepped away from social media and stopped posting it can bring out the worst in people. Some will always find reasons to criticize and tear you down, when really, everyone's just speaking from their own experiences and what they think they know. It's rarely about you. Don't let the noise get to you. Keep rising, Gary you're doing great.
ETF Go@etf.go Ā· 15d
Great to learn more about you and I think sharing your background, experience and credentials is important for everyone to consider. šš Iād just like to point out - I didnāt call you out or tag you in any post or comments. (That was someone else.) I havenāt actually seen much of your content. Only skimmed a few videos. Personally Iām much more likely to tune in now knowing youāve put the time in and had a career in the space. Iām guess our paths, experiences and beliefs have been and are actually very similar. I left the industry after 20 years for many of the same reasons. Iām sure many other influencers are putting time and effort into learning the various products and strategies as well. But there is still a ton of biased/misguided information being shared daily/weekly. The people calling that out arenāt the bad guys. Theyāre just trying to keep others safe. As you know thereās a responsibility that comes with discussing investment strategies. It has real life impacts. I think we should all demand a high standard. Call me crazy - but I think knowledge and experience is just as important as honesty and integrity . š
See the full comment section šSign up for the full Blossom experience!
