Ex-business editor starts financial planning business

Joe Grimm posted his interview with David McPherson, the former Deputy business editor of The Providence Journal today on Poynter.
McPherson left the Providence Journal in 2007 to start his own financial planning business. He departed the news industry after 20 years to help people "make sense of their financial lives" and to avoid growing to dislike his journalism work.
He started setting up Four Ponds Financial Planning LLC immediately after leaving the paper and got his first customer within a few months. He now runs his business and writes a financial column for ABCNews.com.
McPherson discusses some of the difficulties he faced leaving his job, what motivated him to continue on with his goal and what he learned along the way. The now-business owner said he wished he had pursued an MBA while still in journalism. From the article:

"That would have made me a better reporter and editor and would have helped me prepare for the next stage of my working life...Seek education and training in another career field even if you feel secure in your job and you can't imagine a life without journalism."

See the entire story here.

Biz Journalist wins Livingston Award

Wall Street Journal business reporter, Kate Kelly, is one of three winners of the $10,000 Livingston Awards for Young Journalists for 2008 work.

Kelly won the award in the national reporting category for "Lost Opportunities Haunt Final Days of Bear Stearns," her three-part series on the collapse of the Bear Stearns company.

The Livingston Awards are limited to journalists under the age of 35 and are awarded in local, national, and international reporting. 

The 50 finalists for this year's competition were widdled down to three and winners were announced today by Charles Gibson of ABC News, Ken Auletta of The New Yorker and Anna Quindlen of Newsweek today.

View the winners list here.