Beyond Sacrifice 💪🏽 Elevating Your Income and Your Impact

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A guide for mission-driven women to boost their income, enhance their financial independence, and maximize their impact.

I recently had a financial planning conversation with a woman who worked as a professor. We talked about the exciting things she wanted to do with her money over the next few years. She had goals—like traveling to visit friends regularly, taking up hobbies like printmaking, buying a home in the next five years, and contributing to the education funds of her nieces, nephews, and her friends’ children. All meaningful, valuable pursuits.

But as we worked through her budget, it became clear that accomplishing all of these goals on her current income would be tough. The math just wasn’t adding up. I could see how carefully she had thought about each of her aspirations, but the financial reality wasn’t aligning with the life she wanted to live.

Then, I had a hunch—if her income were just a bit higher, even by $10,000 to $20,000, many of these goals could become more feasible. Not that her current salary wasn’t respectable; she had worked hard to earn it, and it allowed her to live comfortably. But a modest income boost could bring many of her dreams into much sharper focus. That extra income could help her travel more, take the classes she wanted, support her loved ones’ education, and still put her on a solid path to homeownership.

As a financial planner, I tread carefully when discussing income increases. It’s important to meet people where they are without judgment, especially when they work in fields that don’t typically prioritize financial gain—like education, public policy, or nonprofit work. But I also recognize the real impact even a slight income increase can have on helping someone align their finances with their goals and values.

So, I decided to ask her, gently, if she’d thought about pursuing a higher salary. I framed it this way: “Would you be interested in exploring how an extra $10,000 in income could help you achieve your goals?” I wanted her to know that it wasn’t about chasing more money for the sake of it but about creating the financial means to live the life she had envisioned.

A few months later, we met again. She told me, almost casually, that she had gotten a new job with a $10,000 raise and was ready to revisit her financial goals. I was pleasantly surprised because, as we all know, salary increases, especially in today’s job market, aren’t easy to come by. But she did it. And the extra income made a big difference—suddenly, her travel plans, classes, and savings goals seemed much more within reach.

This story is a composite of experiences from clients I’ve worked with. These are women who know their goals, who have chosen careers in fields that align with their values, and who haven’t traditionally prioritized high salaries. Yet, over and over, we find that a modest income increase, not a massive windfall, can completely transform their financial landscape. And often, the clarity that comes from financial planning is what gives them the motivation to pursue that higher salary.

Many women working in fields like academia, mental health, public policy, or nonprofit work face similar challenges. There’s an underlying assumption in these sectors that it’s somehow virtuous to earn less because you’re furthering a mission or contributing to a greater good. You might feel pressure from colleagues who think money is “vulgar” or even morally questionable to seek. Ironically, these same colleagues may have financial security through other means, such as family wealth or investments. But that’s not your situation, and it’s okay to recognize that.

Planning your financial future can give you more than just a sense of security—it can help you see how earning more can empower you to live in alignment with your values. It’s not about greed. It’s about agency and ensuring that your financial reality supports your life goals. When clients realize this, they often start asking why they’re not being paid what they’re worth or what it would take to get a raise. And then they go out and make it happen. It’s a powerful shift, one that I’ve seen create a ripple effect in their lives, giving them more confidence and clarity.

If you’re someone who has chosen a career that’s not traditionally lucrative, but you’ve realized that your needs and goals are growing—maybe because you want to buy a house, start a family, or even help support aging parents—then it’s worth considering whether a higher income could help you achieve those goals without compromising your values. You might have never aimed to be “wealthy,” but that doesn’t mean you can’t—or shouldn’t—earn enough to live comfortably and pursue the life you want.

It’s also okay to question some of the cultural narratives that exist in mission-driven fields. Just because you work in an altruistic profession doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be well-compensated for your time and expertise. In fact, underpaid employees may end up leaving their fields out of frustration, which is ultimately counterproductive to the mission they care about. By recognizing your worth and advocating for fair compensation, you’re not only benefiting yourself but also the causes and communities you serve.

I know that financial planning can seem like it’s only for the wealthy—an industry designed to help rich people get richer. And to be honest, a lot of the financial industry has operated that way. But there are planners, like me, who want to work with people like you—who have meaningful careers, but who also want to build the financial foundation that allows them to live fully, give back, and stay true to their values.

So, I encourage you to think about what your life could look like if your income were just a bit higher. Take some time to reflect: How much do you need to travel, take a class, or buy that house? How much would you like to give to causes you care about? How would an extra $10,000, or $20,000 change things for you?

And if there’s a voice in the back of your head saying it’s wrong to want more, or that pursuing a higher salary means betraying your values, I encourage you to pause and reconsider. Your time, expertise, and passion for your work have value—financial value. And being compensated fairly doesn’t diminish the impact of your work; in fact, it can enhance it.

If this resonates with you, and you’re ready to take a closer look at your financial picture, I’d love to talk.

Even if you’re not ready to sit down with a planner, I’d encourage you to take some time to map out your financial goals. What would it cost to live the life you want? How much more would you need to make to achieve those goals? You might find that the gap between where you are and where you want to be is smaller—and more manageable—than you think.