I Left Wall Street – Here's What I Learned About Money
I want to tell you about one of the scariest—and most liberating—decisions I’ve ever made.
For years, I managed money for some of the world’s largest institutional investors. I was on Wall Street, climbing the ladder, earning a strong income. By conventional standards, I had "made it."
And yet, I felt trapped by the very success I’d spent my career chasing.
The Shift: From Earning More to Needing Less
The turning point came when I realized something simple—but powerful:
👉 I could afford to leave because I was willing to reshape how I lived.
That’s when I began to see my burn rate differently.
In traditional financial terms, burn rate measures how quickly money is going out compared to how quickly it's coming in. But for me, it became a much deeper question:
“What am I willing to pay for freedom?”
I sold my large home. I let go of my vacation property. I reviewed every subscription, every habit, every unconscious expectation I had about what my life should look like.
These weren’t acts of deprivation. They were deliberate choices. Each one moved me closer to what I actually wanted.
Redefining Security
This wasn’t about frugality. It was about intention.
When you truly understand your burn rate—what it costs to sustain your current life—you gain insight into where your flexibility lives. And for me, that flexibility was my freedom.
Most of us never pause long enough to question our burn rate. Paychecks arrive, bills are paid, life rolls forward on autopilot. But when you step back and really look at what you're spending—and why—something shifts.
You realize you have more agency than you thought.
A Different Kind of Wealth
A pause in income doesn’t have to mean panic. A career change, retirement, or even a forced transition can be an invitation to reassess.
Ask yourself:
- What do I actually need?
- What truly brings me joy?
- What am I spending money on out of habit, not alignment?
These aren’t small questions. They’re the kind that unlock true abundance.
When I left Wall Street, I wasn’t walking away from security—I was redefining it.
Real security isn’t the size of your paycheck or the square footage of your home. It’s knowing you’re living in alignment with your values—and that you have the flexibility to make meaningful choices.
What Could Change If You Slowed Your Burn Rate?
Whether you're navigating retirement, contemplating a career shift, or just sensing that something needs to change, your burn rate is a tool. Not something to fear—but something to learn from.
Awareness and education—not alarm—fuel confidence.
And confidence is what empowers us to redesign our lives with clarity, not desperation.
What would change in your life if you slowed your burn rate on purpose? Not out of fear... but out of curiosity?