The Wealth You Can’t Measure: Rethinking Value Beyond The Numbers
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Most people are surprised to hear this, but I’ve struggled with a low sense of self-worth for most of my life.
It’s something I’ve worked hard to understand and compassionately rewire - and it’s also the foundation for why I live the way I do today. My focus on holistic wellbeing, creativity, deep relationships, and alignment didn’t come from chasing wealth. It came from learning how to cultivate an intrinsic sense of self-worth - completely separate from my net worth - and helping others do the same.
For many of us, money is more than math. It’s emotion. It’s security. It’s identity. And unless we consciously redefine what wealth means to us, we can get trapped in a life of never enough - even when the numbers look good on paper.
Where the Money Story Begins
I didn’t grow up wealthy. Like many, I internalized a sense of “not enough” at a young age - both emotionally and financially. I learned to take up as little space as possible, to need as little as possible, and to believe that money was inherently stressful.
I didn’t prioritize making money because I never believed I could. I was a theatre artist with a passion for social justice and avant-garde art - fulfillment came from disruption and impact, not income. And while that was beautiful, it also kept me in a cycle of scarcity and burnout longer than it needed to.
Eventually, I hit a turning point. I recognized my unhealthy relationship with money was starting to negatively impact my art. So I started confronting my beliefs about money. I read You Are a Badass at Making Money (thanks Jen Sincero), and it cracked open something essential: money isn’t the goal - freedom is.
Not just freedom in a vague, abstract sense—but the kind that gives you real options. The freedom to choose what your life looks like, how you spend your time, and what you say yes or no to. And ever since, I’ve been learning how to be honest about what I want … and believe I deserve it.
Redefining Wealth Starts with Values
This is why I start every financial plan with values - not spreadsheets.
What are your top five personal values?
What does it look like when you live them out?
How do they show up in your actions and behaviors?
👉 Need help getting started? Download my free Values Clarification Guide to explore and define the values that matter most to you.
Your values don’t change based on your bank balance. You can live your values with $100 in your account or $1 million. The expression may shift, but the core remains the same.
When you define wealth through the lens of your values - freedom, creativity, family, rest, generosity - you give yourself permission to already be closer than you think. You might not need more; you might just need something different.
The Emotional ROI of Financial Planning
Here’s what most traditional financial advice gets wrong: it skips the why.
Financial planning is often positioned as a way to grow your net worth. And yes, strategy matters. But what keeps people financially stuck isn’t just lack of information or strategy - it’s emotional resistance, fear, comparison, and shame.
That’s why I lead with emotional intelligence. Because emotions drive behavior. And behavior is what determines your ability to make real progress.
If we can align your emotions and behaviors with your values and vision, the strategy becomes easier to implement - and more fulfilling in its results.
That’s the real ROI:
Relief from financial anxiety
Clarity around your goals
Peace of mind that your money is aligned with what matters
Confidence in your decision-making
It’s not just about more. It’s about meaning.
When Success Is Already Here
One of the most powerful exercises I’ve ever done was to define success on my own terms - especially as someone who’s struggled with letting net worth define self-worth.
When I stripped away the noise, I realized… I had already achieved success. Not the shiny, Instagram-worthy version - but my version. And that was revelatory.
Yes, I still have big dreams. But I no longer ignore the freedom and joy that are already here. I’m able to more deeply appreciate what I’ve built and how far I’ve come. And amazingly, that satisfaction actually gives me more energy to keep going.
A lot of people think contentment means giving up. I used to be one of them. But I’ve found that contentment is actually fuel. It frees you up to grow without shame, hustle, or self-doubt weighing you down.
If we never pause to acknowledge what we’ve created, we’ll never feel “there.” And that’s not just unfair - it’s unsustainable.
The Wealth You Can’t Measure
We live in a consumer-driven culture that feeds on comparison. Ads, algorithms, and even well-meaning people around us reinforce the idea that we’re not doing enough, not buying enough, not becoming enough.
But here’s the truth:
Wealth isn’t something you chase. It’s something you define.
And when you define it for yourself, everything else becomes clearer:
What’s worth spending on
What kind of financial plan (and implementation strategy) actually makes sense for you
What “success” means in a way that’s deeply personal
This is the heart of values-based financial planning. It’s not about becoming rich for the sake of it. It’s about aligning your money with your vision, your values, and your life - so you can experience freedom, fulfillment, and clarity now, not someday.
Ready to Redefine Wealth on Your Terms?
You don’t have to wait until you “have more” to feel successful.
You don’t have to keep chasing someone else’s version of freedom.
You can start where you are, with what you have, and build a plan rooted in meaning.
If you’re ready to explore what wealth really means to you - and how to design a strategy that reflects your values - I’d love to support you.
Let’s build something meaningful together.
