DiscoverInsight is Capital™ PodcastWealth as a Means, Not a Goal: Investing With Intention in a Polarized World with Tim Nash
Wealth as a Means, Not a Goal: Investing With Intention in a Polarized World with Tim Nash

Wealth as a Means, Not a Goal: Investing With Intention in a Polarized World with Tim Nash

Update: 2025-12-12
Share

Description

In this wide-ranging and human conversation, host Pierre Daillie sits down with Tim Nash, Founder & CEO of Good Investing, to explore what it really means to invest with intention in an era of political polarization, ESG backlash, and growing client skepticism toward traditional finance.

Drawing on more than 15 years of experience in sustainable investing, Tim reframes the debate around ESG, impact investing, and responsible capital allocation. Rather than positioning sustainability as a trade-off against returns, he argues that money is best understood as a means—a tool to support security, freedom, stability, and well-being—rather than an end in itself.

The discussion moves well beyond product labels. Tim clearly maps the spectrum of sustainable investing approaches, from divestment and ESG integration to shareholder stewardship, thematic investing, and deep impact investments such as community bonds. Along the way, Pierre and Tim unpack why many advisors struggle with these conversations, how values alignment drives trust and client retention, and why listening—not judgment—is the most critical advisory skill in today’s environment.

This episode is essential listening for advisors navigating generational wealth transfer, evolving client values, and the widening gap between what investors want and what the industry often delivers.

🔑 Key Takeaways

1️⃣ ESG Isn’t Dead—The “Tourists” Are

Tim explains that the recent backlash against ESG has actually strengthened sustainable investing by flushing out greenwashing. What remains is a more serious, informed, and values-driven core of investors and practitioners committed for the right reasons.

2️⃣ Money Is a Tool, Not an Identity

A central theme of the conversation is the idea that net worth is not self-worth. Tim reframes investing as a means to support life goals like freedom, security, leisure, and purpose—an insight that reshapes how advisors should approach planning conversations.

3️⃣ Advisors Win by Listening, Not Convincing

From hydrogen stocks to community bonds, clients don’t need advisors to agree with them—they need to feel heard. Dismissing values-based ideas is one of the fastest ways to lose trust, especially with younger investors and inheritors.

⏱️ Timestamped Chapters

00:00 – Introduction: Tim Nash’s journey and the philosophy behind Good Investing

02:30 – ESG backlash, politics, and why “ESG tourists” have left the building

06:15 – The real debate: growth at all costs vs. money as a means to well-being

10:00 – Breaking down sustainable investing: divestment, ESG, stewardship, impact

15:30 – Impact investing explained: community bonds, blended returns, and “recyclable philanthropy”

22:30 – Why purpose matters more than performance for impact allocations

27:00 – The advisor’s challenge: trust, compliance, and values-driven clients

33:00 – The massive gap between client demand and advisor action

38:30 – Wearing different hats: empathy, diversification, and client-led decisions

46:20 – Greenwashing, proxy voting, and what “real” ESG looks like

52:20 – The industry skills gap: EQ vs. IQ in modern advising

57:00 – The most powerful onboarding question: “What’s important about money to you?”

01:03:00 – The future of responsible and impact investing

01:06:40 – Where to find Tim Nash and Good Investing

#SustainableInvesting #ImpactInvesting #ESG #ValuesBasedInvesting #FinancialAdvisors #WealthWithPurpose #EthicalInvesting #AdvisorInsights #GoodInvesting #MoneyAndMeaning

Comments 
In Channel
loading
00:00
00:00
x

0.5x

0.8x

1.0x

1.25x

1.5x

2.0x

3.0x

Sleep Timer

Off

End of Episode

5 Minutes

10 Minutes

15 Minutes

30 Minutes

45 Minutes

60 Minutes

120 Minutes

Wealth as a Means, Not a Goal: Investing With Intention in a Polarized World with Tim Nash

Wealth as a Means, Not a Goal: Investing With Intention in a Polarized World with Tim Nash