Note: We work with many clients through challenging transitions, including retirement, selling a business, or the death of a spouse. We're sharing our personal experiences of significant life changes, which allows us to provide you with thoughtful advice. The fourth installment features Financial Advisor, Katie Villegas, CFP®, CSRIC™.

Julia Child is an icon. Not only was she a famous chef and cookbook author, but she led a life of adventure and invited us into her love for French cuisine.

Did you know she was 37 years old when she first started taking cooking classes in Paris? And that she was 49 when she published her first cookbook? Talk about a career transition that shows us that it’s never too late to change the course of our lives.

After graduate school, I worked at a community development credit union where I saw the daily impact in our members’ lives of having access to affordable financial services.

I became more and more invested in how our values affect our use of money – how we spend and save our money. Deciding to pursue a CFP® certification was one way to explore these matters.

The next challenge in my career transition was finding the right type of firm to call home. I wanted to be part of a team that was interested in making financial advice accessible by removing the stresses and unknowns that prevent people from reaching their goals. I was lucky enough to find the right fit with Old Peak.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking was published when Julia was 49 years old. I hope by the time I turn 49 I can share with others my experience of Mastering the Art of Financial Planning. But if Julia teaches us something, it is that the point is not to master an art, but to “Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it." I think we can all eat to that!

For more Julia Child stories, check out:

My Life in France by Julia Child
Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Julia Child video collection
Ten essential Julia Child recipes
The French Cook (Saturday Night Live)