I have always been in awe of certain types of professionals and the way in which they go about their jobs, with focus, passion and most importantly motivation. In fact beyond being impressed, I am also curious about what it is that makes these men and women tick. My friend Michelle Marquez is one of these people, she works for a trading group both on the trading floor and in compliance, and she is one of the most driven people that I know. I understand how one can stay driven when there is money at stake, but the compliance side of things, working to avoid fraud and stick to the letter of the law which the Securities and Exchange commission put in place, doesn’t sound like an area of the job that would keep you pumped up. Michelle however does stay driven, and here is how.


 Michelle actually takes great pride in her job especially when it comes to sticking to the rules of the game. This passion for doing things with transparency is why she was selected to work within compliance, and also why she is so good at it. Wrongdoing in the world of stock brokering has declined a great deal since the dark days of the 80s and 90s, and it is people like Michelle who are to be thanked for it.


 Michelle is one of the few people who work within this industry that adores making money for their clients, and not because they can earn commission. Michelle in fact says that she doesn’t even think about the commission until the end of the month and what really keeps her driven during this time is having the knowledge that the work which she did, has helped to make her clients money.


 Since a young age Michelle was passionate about stocks and shares, in fact when she was younger she would regularly play a Wall Street simulation game, which uses real time info. Without this passion for the job Michelle says that there is no way she could stomach spending 12-15 hours in the office each day, but it is her love of the game that keeps her going.


Since her very first day working for in this industry, Michelle knew that she wanted to have retired by the age of 45, so that she could still enjoy her life after she has finished working. This is something that has not changed in Michelle’s mind and in fact it is something which makes sure that she is driven to the max each and every day. Having a goal like this is why Michelle is happy to put in the hours now, so that she can bank as much cash as possible and then enjoy a free and relaxing life without the stresses of work once she has retired.

 What is it that keeps you driven?