Your Shares, Your Voice: The Power Most Investors Ignore

Last week, I invited you to see something hiding in plain sight: even the most intentional, mindful life is deeply intertwined with publicly traded companies. The Chevy Bolt you drive, the electricity that charges it, the iPhone in your pocket, the flights you take to India—all of it flows through corporations whose shares trade on public markets.

And I asked a simple question: if so much of your money already goes to these companies as a customer, why not put some back in as an owner?

But here's what I didn't tell you: ownership comes with something more than potential financial returns.

It comes with a voice.

The Ballot You Didn't Know You Had

When you own shares in a public company—even a single share—you become a part-owner of that business. And part-owners get to vote.

Every year, public companies hold annual meetings where shareholders vote on important decisions. You'll receive proxy materials in the mail or your email, and you'll be asked to weigh in on things like:

• Who sits on the board of directors

• Executive compensation packages

• Whether to approve mergers or acquisitions

• Shareholder proposals on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues

That last category is where things get interesting for the values-driven investor.

Shareholder Proposals: Where Your Values Meet Your Shares

Shareholder proposals are resolutions submitted by investors—sometimes large institutional funds, sometimes small groups of activist shareholders—that ask the company to take a specific action or adopt a new policy.

In recent years, these proposals have addressed:

• Climate commitments: Asking oil companies to set emissions reduction targets or disclose climate-related financial risks

• Labor practices: Pushing retailers to conduct third-party audits of supply chain working conditions

• Political spending transparency: Requiring companies to disclose donations to political candidates or lobbying efforts

• Diversity and inclusion: Requesting reports on workforce demographics or pay equity

• Executive pay: Proposing limits on CEO compensation relative to median worker pay

These proposals don't always pass. In fact, most don't—at least not the first time. But they build pressure. A proposal that gets 20% support one year might get 35% the next, and eventually the board takes notice. Change often happens before a vote ever reaches majority, simply because companies want to avoid the public pressure.

Your vote is part of that pressure.

Three Ways to Exercise Your Shareholder Power

1. Vote your own shares directly

If you own individual stocks—Apple, GM, NextEra Energy, whatever—you'll receive proxy materials before the annual meeting. Read them. Vote. It takes five minutes.

Most people throw these away or ignore the emails. Don't be most people.

Pay special attention to the shareholder proposals section. This is where you'll find resolutions aligned with your values. The board will almost always recommend voting against these proposals. You don't have to follow their recommendation.

2. Choose funds that vote your values

If you invest through index funds or ETFs, you don't vote directly—the fund manager does. And until recently, most large fund managers voted in favor of management on almost everything.

That's starting to change. Some fund companies now offer funds that commit to voting in favor of environmental and social proposals. Others allow you to direct how your shares are voted through a process called "pass-through voting."

When choosing funds, look beyond just the expense ratio. Ask: how does this fund vote on shareholder proposals? Organizations like As You Sow (asyousow.org) publish scorecards rating fund managers on their proxy voting records.

3. Join or support shareholder advocacy organizations

You don't have to go it alone. Organizations like As You Sow, the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, and Majority Action coordinate shareholder campaigns and file proposals on behalf of investors who share their values.

Some allow you to add your voice to existing campaigns. Others accept donations to fund their advocacy work. If you don't have the time to research every proxy ballot, supporting these organizations lets you amplify your impact.

The Ripple Effect

Here's what's easy to forget: every share counts, but not every share votes.

Retail investors—individual people like you—own a significant portion of the stock market. But most retail investors never cast their proxy votes. They don't know they can, or they don't think it matters.

It matters.

When you vote, you're not just expressing your values. You're shifting the aggregate. You're contributing to the percentage that shows up in the final tally. You're part of the signal that tells a company's board what its owners care about.

And here's the thing: you're already used to this. Yoga teaches that individual practice contributes to collective consciousness. That your presence on the mat matters, even if you can't see the ripple effects. That showing up is itself a form of participation in something larger.

Voting your shares is the same. You may never see the direct impact of your single vote. But you're part of a current. And currents move things.

A Different Kind of Activism

There's a certain kind of person who shows up at protests, signs petitions, and calls their representatives. Maybe that's you. Maybe it isn't.

But if you own shares, you have access to a form of activism that most people never consider. You have a seat at the table inside the corporation itself. Not outside, shouting. Inside, voting.

This isn't a replacement for other forms of civic engagement. But it's a complement. And for those who feel disillusioned with traditional politics, it's a reminder that there are other levers to pull.

You already vote with your dollars every time you make a purchase. Why not vote with your shares too?

A Note From Me

As I mentioned last week, I'm a financial advisor with a minimum investment threshold that won't fit everyone. But the right to vote your shares belongs to every investor, regardless of portfolio size.

If you own even one share of one company, you have this power. Use it.

And if you're building toward a point where a more comprehensive approach to values-aligned investing makes sense, I'm always happy to talk.