6 Money Confessions That Might Surprise You

Author

Thamina Stoll
March 06, 2025

Hi Sheconomist Insider 👋 It’s Thamina, Founder of The Sheconomist. This is your bi-weekly dose of celebrating the female economy where I help ambitious, purpose-driven women like yourself flip the script on money, career & wellbeing conventions so you can live life on your own terms.

TLDR:

  • 🪜 The realization that I don’t want to climb the corporate ladder

  • 💅 Meet your cool coworker, delivering you career inspiration and intel

  • ⏳ Unlocking Freedom of Time & Freedom of Choice

  • 💰 6 money confessions that might surprise you

  • 💜 Meet Natalie Neptune, LinkedIn Top Voice & Founder of GenZtea

Friendly Ask: Do you love this newsletter? Do you want more in-depth resources such as courses, events, and a membership? Then please share The Sheconomist with your friends because I can only offer more when the scale is there. When one of us wins, we all win. Thank you. 💜 

🧪 Freedom Formulas

I’m a 30-year old “successful” woman working in Big Tech making good money and I’m not afraid to admit:

(this post went viral on Instagram last month and because it resonated with soooo many women, I thought I’d share with with you all as well ❤️)

1️⃣ The realization that I don’t want to continue climbing the corporate ladder is both liberating and weighing heavily on me at the same time.

2️⃣ There are days where I wanna give it all up, liquidate my investments and buy a quaint farmhouse in Tuscany to opt for a more slow paced lifestyle where I can be more present in the moment.

3️⃣ I’m both excited about having kids one day AND scared of how it’ll inevitably change my priorities and impact the career decisions I’ll make.

4️⃣ The concept of “4,000 weeks” that everyone seems to be talking about these days is freaking TERRIFYING and with every week that passes by just like that, I’m starting to feel more anxious.

5️⃣ Being a woman in this current environment is scary. It’s something I think about every day. I’m disappointed in the men around me for not speaking up. And I worry about what this means for future generations of girls and women.

6️⃣ I spend too much time caring about vanity metrics on social media and yet another post not performing does make me question my life choices and my value (despite receiving countless messages from women thanking me for my work every week)

7️⃣ I often feel stretched too thin and lack focus because I get easily excited about new opportunities, which makes it challenging for me to be consistent over long periods of time. It’s something I’ve gotten better at but am still struggling with. It also makes me wonder whether I’m neurodivergent.

8️⃣ I’ve lost so many friends over the years because I moved countries and am no longer the person I used to be. I know this is normal and part of growing up but it sometimes still makes me sad.

❣️ Thamina’s Top Picks

💪 Women’s History Month Special

International Women’s Day is only 2 days away (March 8th) so for this edition and the next one in two weeks from now, I’ve decided to add a bonus section where I highlight opportunities I’m working on that feel aligned and that add value to my community.

Lately, I’ve been having the same conversations with women in their late 20s and early 30s. Women who’ve “made it” on paper:

✔️ Degrees from a prestigious university

✔️ (Multiple) six-figure salaries

✔️ Impressive job titles

And yet...

We’re craving so much more than just another promotion.

We want freedom.

True freedom.

🕰️ Freedom of time — to rest, to create, to spend more time with the people we love most

🗝️ Freedom of choice — to say yes to what excites us and no to what drains us.

But here’s the truth: no one hands you that freedom.

You create it through radical self-advocacy - in your salary, your career trajectory, your benefits, your boundaries, and your long-term financial strategy.

This is why I'm excited to be partnering with Graphy for a very REAL fireside chat this upcoming Monday.

And the topic couldn't be a better fit for this year's International Women's Day theme #AccelerateAction.

This is for the women who are done playing small.

For the women who want to eventually stop trading time for money.

For the women who want work to support their dream life - not consume it.

This is the permission slip (and game plan) we all deserve.

Hope to see you there. ❤️

✨ This week’s Moodboard

🤫 You can save this image for inspiration and/or share it on social media. Pls tag me @thaminastoll

💸 Cooking up Wealth

Here are 6️⃣ money confessions that might surprise you:

(as someone who helps young, high-achieving women turn 6-figure salaries into 7-figure portfolios)

1️⃣ I too suffer from lifestyle inflation every now and then and don’t spend every single dollar in the most “optimal” way. Too often we equate being “smart” with money with being “perfect” with money. But perfection is 1) unattainable & 2) deprives us of joy. ✨

2️⃣ I don’t know much about real estate & real estate investing. Thinking too much about home ownership actually gives me anxiety because it just seems too time intensive and I’d rather have most of my money work harder for me in the stock market where it’s a lot less “hands on” and a lot easier to access. Am I missing out on wealth building opportunities by not taking real estate seriously? Maybe. Probably. I don’t really care because peace of mind & flexibility are more important to me at this stage in life. 🏡

3️⃣ I didn’t max out my Roth IRA last year even though I recommend most people do. I prioritized other investments (coaching, a retreat, travel, legal support, outsourcing) and that’s ok. ❤️‍🩹

4️⃣ I don’t have the perfect credit card stack and while I have booked lots of trips with points and saved thousands of dollars on travel that way (Singapore Airlines Business Class from Singapore to NYC is still my biggest travel rewards accomplishment 💃), transferring points to airline partners still gives me anxiety and I don’t enjoy the experience.

5️⃣ My first angel investment that I was really excited about didn’t work out. Looking back, I should have done a lot more due diligence and pressure testing but my “shiny new object” syndrome got the best of me. I know better for the future now. 😇

6️⃣ I sometimes transfer money from my “FU Fund” in my high-yield savings account to my checking account to pay off credit card statements after a bigger purchase (e.g. a big trip, business expenses, coaching). I sometimes feel guilty about that but try not to beat myself up too much because at the end of the day, most of these purchases are investments in making core memories with loved ones or asymmetrical bets that will pay off in the long run. 💸

I don’t believe in money shaming tactics a la the likes of Dave Ramsey 🤮

Nudging and creating urgency: Yes.

But shaming? No.

Personal finance is exactly that: PERSONAL.

Personal, imperfect and everything that comes with it.

And we need to be more transparent to normalize money conversations that are more REAL and more RELATABLE.

🌊 Women Making Waves

Natalie Neptune is a LinkedIn Top Voice, community builder and Gen Z Private Markets Expert and Speaker who connects brands with IRL experiences

In one sentence: What's your purpose in life?

“To help people become the best version of themselves so that they can live their dream lifestyle.”

It's not bragging if it's based on facts. What's an accomplishment you are proud of?

“I am a Top LinkedIn Voice for Next Gen.”

What financial goal or milestone are you currently working towards?

“My milestone is working on creating a unique GenZtea Summit in NYC that is led by Gen Z for Gen Z. GenZtea is a 2 day summit that brings the top new generation of leaders to the world’s most influential companies. We believe that top Gen Z talent are Founders, creators, and investors.”

What is the greatest challenge young women are facing today?

“Lack of good mentors.”

How do you define success?

“Success is that I am completing the tasks that God asked me to complete.”

What's your favorite woman-owned/-founded brand?

Follow Natalies’s work here:

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In abundance,

P.S.: If you want to work with me directly, you can do so here.

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