Charlie Epstein, a former coach to thousands of 401(k) plan advisers, has found a new venue to spread a message that he sees as central to earning a good living.
"Do what you love," he says, "and the money will follow."
That's the crux of his new one-man show, "Yield of Dreams: A Financially Entertaining Experience," set to premiere Aug. 26-27 at the Northampton Center for the Arts in Northampton, Mass.
Part stand-up comedy routine, part financial counseling session, the 80-minute production prods people to pursue their dreams and not be held back by fear or what Mr. Epstein refers as "myths about money."
"Everybody as a kid has something they wanted to be," Mr. Epstein said in an interview. "The show is about people recovering that promise."
If anyone knows anything about living their dream, it's Mr. Epstein, the founder and CEO of Epstein Financial Services LLC, a nearly $1 billion registered investment adviser firm that he recently sold to Hub International Ltd.
While building his business, Mr. Epstein simultaneously pursued work as an actor, his lifelong passion. He nurtured the entertainer inside him, he said, doing everything from Shakespeare to stand-up comedy and improvisational theater.
"I've been able to straddle both worlds," he said, referring to his dual roles as both entrepreneur and entertainer.
"What I've been able to do over the last 41 years is pursue my dreams and my passion, and I'm trying to get people to pursue their dreams and passion," he said.
The show, which Mr. Epstein hopes to bring to Broadway and theaters across the country, tells the story of his own personal trials and tribulations as well as those of his clients. He also talks about how he learned to "bend time" by doing what's important, rather than what's urgent. "My time shouldn't be spent making appointments," he said, explaining that he surrounded himself with a "team of people who loved to do what he hated to do."
The practice proved to be a magic formula for both growing his business and growing as an actor.
By bending time, he said, "you can pursue your passion and have what you want," he said.
