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"Just do what you’re passionate about" is terrible advice...

"Just do what you’re passionate about" is terrible advice...

My 9 to 5 financial exit plan revealed + Get FREE tickets to Female Founder World Summit

Avni Barman
October 17, 2024

_{ENTREPRENEURSHIP}_{& VENTURE CAPITAL}

🛠️ Build Gen She With Me

"Just do what you’re passionate about" is terrible advice...

The truth is, you need to meet your material needs first—money, food, a place to live—and you’re not going to get those things chasing your passion. You’re going to get that by creating something society values and is willing to pay for. For most people, especially early in their careers, figuring this out on their own is tough. That’s why, more often than not, the smartest move is to work for a company that’s already cracked that code.

And that’s actually your best shot at turning your passion into a career. A job gives you money, and money buys time—and time is what gives you the freedom to explore what excites you. Because let’s be honest—turning a passion into a career takes time and is not a simple feat. You need space to fail, try new things, and figure it out. It’s exactly what Maslow’s hierarchy of needs teaches us: you can’t focus on purpose until your basic needs are met.

Growing up in Silicon Valley, I saw wealthy people jump straight into building businesses as soon as they graduated because their financial needs were already taken care of. If I’d tried to do the same without securing my own finances first, I would’ve failed. Instead, I took a well-paying job in big tech, invested strategically, saved money, and bought myself the time and freedom to quit and build Gen She into what it is today. That’s probably the only reason I’ve been able to succeed.

And if you’re not there yet, that’s okay! Start by creating value society is willing to pay for—most likely through a well-paying job that sets you up financially. Then, chase your passion.

If you want the full breakdown of how I secured myself financially before leaving my 9-to-5 to start my business, I’ll be sharing my full financial exit plan at the Women Building Wealth Summit hosted by Carry!

Registration is FREE — you can join here!

I’ll be breaking down:

How I saved money with my first job
Key investment strategies for building financial independence
Timing your exit: Knowing when to quit
Hiring a team vs. being a solopreneur
How I bootstrapped my business
Managing taxes
Navigating health insurance
Cultivating a strong money mindset
Budgeting tips, and much more!

🇮🇳 P.S. Gen She is coming to India!! Stay tuned next week for all the details~

_{NOW LIVE}

🎙️ The Gen She Podcast

From Wall Street to Silicon Valley: How Two Female Founders Are Simplifying Investing and Wealth Building for Gen Z

🤝 Invest With Me
_{Turns out you don’t need to be crazy rich to own a piece of the trillions of dollars that flow through the tech industry every year! Wefunder is a platform that allows anyone to invest as little as $100 into startups, and each week, I’ll be sharing one company that I’m investing in with you!}

Unpluq: Making Phones Less Addictive

wefunder.com/unpluq

✨ 649% monthly recurring revenue growth YoY (2024 vs. 2023)

✨ 63% retention rate (i.e., still using Unpluq after.1 year)

✨ $225K annual recurring revenue

_{RESOURCES + JOBS}

Don’t miss these 👀

^CAREER

⚡️ Join us in LA for Gen She’s first Founder + Funder Power Walk! Get free swag from drinks by De Soi, skincare by Beia, makeup by Thrive, wellness by Beekeeper's Naturals, and so much more! Few spots left here.

🎟️ Win a free ticket to the Female Founder World Summit and meet the founders of SET ACTIVE, Beautyblender, Chillhouse, Ghia, and more here!

⏯️ ICYMI: Get your dream job in 20 minutes!

^WELLNESS

🩸 Is the key to longevity delaying menopause?

☀️ Do this for 5 minutes every morning to manifest your dream life.

🎙️ Esther Perel, relationship therapist, talks about how cultural shifts are transforming how we love on this podcast.