Slower, Wealthier, Happier

I remember the first time I heard it. I was sitting in a business workshop, scribbling down notes, listening to the speaker rattle off all the things you should be doing if you’re serious about success. At some point, she paused, looked out at the audience, and dropped this bomb: “If you’re not making $10,000 a month in your business, are you even really in business?”

The room got quiet. Not the kind of quiet that feels peaceful—the kind that feels like a punch to the gut. I saw women shift in their seats, glance around nervously. Some nodded in agreement, others stared down at their notepads like they were looking for answers in the margins.

And I remember feeling that knot of anxiety tighten in my chest. Am I not successful if I’m not making $10,000 a month? Does that mean I’m failing?

At the time, I was growing my nonprofit organization. I was working hard, making impact, changing lives—but I was definitely not bringing in $10K a month. In fact, I was still navigating what money looked like in the nonprofit space, where so much of what you bring in goes back out. It wasn’t like traditional business where the profit margin was yours to decide. So, where did that leave me? Was I failing? Was I not really in business?

That statement stayed with me for years. It haunted me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was missing some magic formula, some secret code that unlocked the door to five-figure months and perfectly balanced spreadsheets.

And I carried that belief for a long time.
If I’m not making $10,000 a month, I’m not successful.
If I’m not hitting that number, I must be doing something wrong.

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The Reframe: What If Wealth Isn’t About More, But About Enough?

It took me years to untangle that belief. Years to stop measuring my value by someone else’s number. Because the reality is, $10,000 a month isn’t the definition of success for everyone. I had to sit with that and ask myself a question I’d never really asked before:
What does wealth actually look like for me?

And it wasn’t an easy question to answer. For the longest time, I thought wealth looked like more. More clients. More revenue. More hustle. More “proof” that I was out here doing it big. But the more I sat with that question, the more I realized that wealth, for me, looked a lot more like freedom than it did money.

Wealth looked like waking up without an alarm clock.
That was my first taste of freedom. I remember saying it out loud to myself almost 15 years ago: I never want to have to wake up to an alarm clock again. And I worked to create a life that allowed me to do that. For more than a decade now, I’ve been waking up when my body says it’s time. I rise with the sun, I move through my mornings slowly, intentionally. And to me, that’s wealth.

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The $10K Lie

I spent so much time believing that $10K was the benchmark. That it was the only number that defined whether or not you were “doing it.” But here’s the truth: more doesn’t always mean better. More money is great—but not if it comes with more stress, more overwhelm, more burnout.

For me, wealth became about enough. Enough to wake up without rushing. Enough to keep all my bills on automation so I’m not tracking due dates every week. Enough to spend four hours at Taco Tuesday with my girlfriends in the middle of the day, laughing over fresh guacamole without watching the clock.

Wealth started looking like having the time to enjoy my life, not just fund it.
It looked like taking trips with my husband, finding deals that made luxury travel affordable.
It looked like making my own schedule, not having to ask permission to take a break, and being able to pour into the things that bring me joy without hesitation.

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The Freedom Formula: What Does Enough Look Like?

I had to get real clear about what “enough” looked like for me.

• Enough for me meant I could pay my bills without stress.
  
• Enough for me meant I could invest, save, and still enjoy life.
  
• Enough for me meant I could breathe.
  

Because here’s the thing: Freedom isn’t tied to a number. It’s tied to a feeling. And when you figure out what enough looks like for you, you get to opt out of the hustle for more, more, more.

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Reframing the $10K Narrative

I’m not saying $10K a month isn’t amazing. It is. But it’s not the only path to freedom. And it’s not the only definition of success. For me, I realized that my wealth was tied to how I felt in my life, not just what I had in my bank account.

It’s being able to have the luxury of time.
It’s being able to say no without fear.
It’s having my bills paid automatically and not having to think about them.
It’s freedom that’s soft, not forced.
It’s wealth that breathes, not burns out.

That’s what I had to learn. And I’m still learning it. I’m still building, still growing, still creating the kind of wealth that allows me to rest and receive. I’m still reframing what wealth looks like for me—less about more and more about enough.

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What Does Freedom Look Like for You?

I want you to ask yourself that question.
Not what social media says.
Not what the gurus say.
Not what that coach told you years ago.

But what does freedom actually look like for you?
Is it an alarm-free morning?
Is it Taco Tuesdays with your girls in the middle of the day?
Is it taking trips without checking your bank account every five minutes?

Because if you don’t know what enough looks like for you, you will always be chasing more. And I don’t know about you, but I’m done with the chase. I’m ready for the flow.

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Let’s Talk About It

I want to know—what does freedom look like for you? Not what you’ve been told it should be, but what it really is for you. Drop it in the comments.

Because Sis, you get to decide what wealth looks like. And sometimes? Enough is everything.

Continue this conversation with women just like you in Wealthy Women Conversations on Facebook. Join us, share your story, and discover how slowing down can create space for more.