By Kristen Euretig, CFP®
Founder, Brooklyn Plans
March is Women’s History Month — a time when we often reflect on the progress women have made in the workplace.
But lately, I’ve been noticing something interesting in conversations with clients.
More and more women are questioning the traditional definition of success.
For decades, financial success was framed in one direction: up.
Higher salary.
Bigger title.
More responsibility.
Climb the ladder.
But something different is happening now.
Many women are intentionally stepping off the traditional corporate trajectory.
And in many cases, they’re choosing to earn less.
Not because they failed.
Because they’re redefining what success looks like.
For many of the women we work with, the goal isn’t maximizing income at all costs. It’s creating a life that feels more aligned — with their time, their energy, and their values.
And that shift often raises a big question:
Can I afford to build a life that looks different from the one I originally planned?
Recently, I’ve had several conversations with clients navigating exactly that question.
One client working in tech is dreaming about leaving the industry entirely to pursue her passion for flower farming.
Another is considering leaving corporate life to attend cooking school in Paris and pursue a career in culinary arts.
A third wants to step away from big law to pursue work that feels more meaningful in the nonprofit or academic sector.
And another recently left a full-time marketing role at a tech company to work part-time for her husband’s family business.
Different paths.
Different motivations.
But the same underlying question:
Can my financial life support a version of success that looks different from the one I originally planned?
This is where financial planning becomes incredibly powerful.
Because the goal of financial planning isn’t to keep you locked into the highest-paying job you can tolerate.
It’s to create options.
Options to change careers.
Options to work less.
Options to build a life that feels sustainable instead of just impressive on paper.
Ironically, choosing to earn less often requires more intentional planning, not less.
We start by asking questions like:
• What level of income actually supports the life you want?
• How much flexibility do your savings give you right now?
• What tradeoffs come with a different career path?
• How do we maintain long-term financial independence if your income changes?
These questions aren’t meant to discourage change.
They’re meant to help you make those decisions confidently and intentionally.
Financial independence isn’t about maximizing income forever.
It’s about creating the ability to make choices.
And sometimes the most powerful choice is building a life that’s more aligned — even if it earns a little less.