Net-Zero Wealth
Or, why the richest people I know act kind of broke
We’ve been sold accumulation as the only answer.
We talk endlessly about accumulation as the primary path to wealth.
Make more money. Increase your income. Scale. Expand. Earn more.
And to be clear, I’m not anti-income. I’ve built an entire framework around income creation. One of the pathways inside my Wealth Well Framework is learning how to increase income in more than one way, because that skill is undeniably powerful.
Knowing how to earn is useful. Necessary, even.
But it’s only half the equation.
The other half no one wants to talk about
Reduction.
Letting go.
Removing.
Subtracting.
At first, this idea can feel almost offensive. Why would I reduce anything if the goal is wealth? Why would I choose to “shrink” when the cultural mandate is always to grow?
Because if wealth were only about earning more, we’d be ignoring the other hand that makes both clap.
The goal isn’t to decrease income. It’s to decrease the things that quietly siphon it away.
Expenses. Obligations. Draining exchanges.
And yes, that’s a much harder conversation than “just make more money.”
Why “spend less” sounds like an insult (but isn’t)
When someone tells us to save more or spend less, it often lands wrong. As if the solution were simplistic. As if our lives weren’t already full of responsibility, nuance, and pressure.
But reducing expenses isn’t inherently restrictive. In many cases, it’s the fastest path to freedom.
Especially when you actually look at how wealthy people behave.
The weird “broke behavior” of very rich people
A disproportionate number of millionaires and billionaires practice what most people would label “broke behavior.”
They wear the same clothes repeatedly.
They own fewer things, but higher-quality ones.
They don’t impulse spend.
They keep their personal burn rate low even when their net worth is massive.
This isn’t because they lack access. It’s because they understand leverage.
Warren Buffett still lives in the same modest home he bought in Omaha, Nebraska, decades ago. Not because he has to, but because a low personal burn rate removes pressure. It buys patience. It preserves optionality.
Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs famously wore near-identical outfits daily. Not as a branding move, but to eliminate unnecessary decisions and recurring spending. Attention is a resource, and they treated it like one.
Even today, leaders like Sam Altman prioritize ownership and long-term positioning over visible consumption. Many ultra-wealthy European families live surprisingly modest daily lives while being extremely sophisticated about where their money is held, how it’s structured, and how much tax drag they’re willing to tolerate.
This isn’t scarcity thinking.
It’s systems thinking.
Enter: net-zero wealth
This is where my concept of net-zero wealth comes in.
The term usually lives in environmental or institutional contexts, but here’s how I use it. Net-zero wealth means building wealth not only by increasing income, but by intentionally minimizing what exits your ecosystem.
When what leaves is reduced, what remains compounds faster. With less effort. Less pressure. Less drama.
And over time, I realized this concept isn’t just financial.
Net-zero wealth is about building an abundant life by minimizing what drains you, not just maximizing what pays you.
A personal confession
There were years in my life where I lived on close to $10,000.
Not hypothetically. Actually.
Career gap years where very little was coming in, but almost nothing was going out either. And in a weird, almost inconvenient way, those were some of the happiest and most fulfilling years of my life.
Not because I was broke.
But because my life was simple.
My nervous system was calm.
My values were clear.
Even now, as I move out of a very restrictive financial season and back into a more abundant one, my spending has stayed incredibly tight. Not out of fear, but out of choice.
And because of that, I’m building wealth faster than I ever have before.
Harder? Maybe.
Better? Definitely.
Faster? Ironically, yes.
Stronger? Without question.
Wealth isn’t always about more
This is the part high-earning women are rarely told.
You don’t always need to earn more to feel wealthy. You need fewer leaks.
Net-zero wealth applies to more than money. It applies to time, energy, relationships, commitments, and experiences that look fulfilling on the surface but offer no real depth long-term.
Less drama.
Fewer draining obligations.
Cleaner money.
Cleaner systems.
Cleaner relationships.
Some things feel good in the moment but cost you later. True wealth is learning how to spot the difference.
Grow, but also shrink
This isn’t about living like a monk. It’s about sovereignty.
Growing and shrinking strategically.
Adding and subtracting with intention.
Not overcomplicating what abundance actually is.
The women who work with me aren’t chasing get-rich-quick fantasies. Being rich isn’t the end goal. They want to live their wealthiest, most fulfilled life now, while still building for the future.
That requires optimization, not basic education.
Systems, not hustle.
Depth, not excess.
Net-zero thinking is one of those systems.
And it’s a conversation worth having.
If this way of thinking resonates, if you’re starting to notice where your money, energy, or attention is quietly leaking freedom, this is the kind of work I do inside my private 1:1 containers.
Not to make you earn more at all costs.
But to help you build sovereignty through structure.
You don’t need more chaos.
You need cleaner systems.
✨ Reflection Prompts
Take a moment and answer this honestly, without trying to fix anything yet.
Where in your life are you accumulating more than you’re actually benefiting?
Consider money, yes.
But also time, commitments, relationships, subscriptions, expectations, emotional labor, noise.
Now ask yourself:
What am I paying for, financially or energetically, that no longer adds real depth to my life?
Where am I tolerating small, recurring drains because they feel normal or socially acceptable?
If I reduced just one expense, obligation, or dynamic this season, what would immediately feel lighter?
What would my life look like if fewer things were required for me to feel safe, fulfilled, and resourced?
And finally:
If wealth were measured not by how much you could accumulate, but by how little you needed to feel whole, what would change?
Sit with that. No action required yet. Just awareness.
That’s where net-zero wealth begins.
A DEEPER DIVE
✨ WHAT I’M LISTENING TO
Not sure why I didn’t do a second degree in economics, because lately the amount of books and podcasts I’ve been consuming in this field has fully taken over my eardrums. Last night I tuned into a podcast episode with an economist couple talking through everyday life decisions using an economist’s lens, specifically around opportunity cost. They covered topics like whether it makes sense to postpone having children, go back to school, or pursue certain career paths, depending on what you’re trading off in the process.
I didn’t agree with everything they said, but I found them genuinely entertaining and really appreciated how clearly they broke things down. It’s always refreshing to hear people think rigorously, even when you don’t fully align. Solid 10 out of 10 recommend if you enjoy thought-provoking conversations that challenge how you evaluate your choices.
✨ WHAT I'M SPENDING ON
I just booked my Airbnb for my friend’s wedding in Portugal. One night in Lisbon, then the rest of the trip in Albufeira. If you’ve been to either, send me your recommendations. Where should I explore, eat, wander, and properly relax? I already know this trip will require at least one beach day, probably more, and I’m very open to being influenced.
✨ WHAT I’M GRATEFUL FOR
The library, once again. This past weekend, I attended a free partner yoga session through one of their community events. It was completely different from my usual solo yoga practice and, honestly, such a refreshing experience. Moving my body in a new way, while connecting with someone I care about, felt grounding and intimate in a way I didn’t expect. A reminder that there’s so much richness available when we nurture what’s already around us, often for free.
(my most recent photodump 💞 from left to right: a picture of one of the Airbnb’s i’ll be staying at for my destination wedding, my fav filtered water bottle I thought I lost but was able to retrieve back at a Walmart, some delicious London Fog paired with a gluten and dairy-free carrot cake (RARE), a card I pulled for my audience this week but didn’t get a chance to write the email (so sorry!) ).
FREE RESOURCES
If you are not ready to dive into coaching just yet, I also have a suite of free and low-cost resources to help you start taking action today. From the Intuitive Wealth Blueprint CustomGPT to my Financial Clarity Webinar to simple tools like the Money Mindset eBook and Wealth Tracker, these resources will support you in shifting your mindset and building better money habits. You can also browse my curated favorites for wealth-building tools, mindset healing, and must-have biz growth platforms.
👉 Explore All Resources
WAYS TO WORK WITH ME
Whether you are just beginning your wealth journey or ready for deep transformation, I’ve created coaching experiences that meet you where you are. From quick strategy sessions to help you gain clarity, to courses like The Wealth Well and The Confident Investor, to longer-term private coaching containers, my work is designed to help you create sustainable wealth that aligns with your values. You can explore all my current coaching offerings.
I acknowledge that my practice is located on the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples, and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.
