When Passion Meets Purpose

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak to the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) on the topic of financial psychology. The evening began with the group’s regular meeting — a new president was announced, updates were shared, and members discussed the agenda ahead. As dinner was served, I sat among an impressive group of women leading businesses, managing teams, supporting families, and pursuing their own goals — including Winnie and my mom. And as the evening progressed, I felt something I hadn’t felt in quite a while:

Nervousness.

I’ve spent years teaching. I’ve stood in front of classrooms, led discussions, and helped people learn new skills. But it had been some time since I’d spoken to a room full of adults in a setting like this, and as my turn approached, I could feel the anticipation building.

When I finally stood up to speak, I probably wasn’t as polished as I would’ve liked. I stumbled over a few thoughts and felt a little flat at times. But as I began sharing our story, something shifted. The nerves faded. Instead of focusing on delivering a perfect presentation, I focused on telling the truth about Winnie and my financial journey — a journey that didn’t begin with wealth, investing, or financial independence. It began with uncertainty.

One story that seemed to resonate most was my experience moving from the United States to China. When I was younger and living in America, it was easy to understand why I struggled financially. I wasn’t making much money (waiting tables), so living paycheck to paycheck felt inevitable. Then I moved to China. Within a few months, my financial situation changed dramatically. Suddenly, I was earning far more than most of my peers around me. By many standards, I had entered an upper‑income lifestyle. And yet… I was still living paycheck to paycheck. That realization became one of the most important lessons of my life:

The problem wasn’t income.

The problem was behavior. Now, to be clear, there is absolutely a lower limit. Many people work incredibly hard just to cover necessities, and no amount of budgeting can overcome income that doesn’t meet basic needs. But for many of us, increasing our income doesn’t automatically solve our financial struggles. Without intentional habits, higher earnings simply lead to higher spending. Most of us have lived that moment: “If I just made a little more money, everything would be easier.” Then we make more money… and somehow the stress remains.

For me, the real turning point wasn’t receiving a larger paycheck. It was meeting Winnie. Together, we began developing a different relationship with money. We started saving intentionally. We began viewing savings not as deprivation, but as opportunity. Every dollar set aside represented a little more freedom, a little more security, and a little more control over our future. I remember the feeling of financial stress that followed me around when I was younger — that constant worry in the back of your mind. The fear that if something unexpected happened tomorrow, there might not be enough money to handle it.

A car repair.

A medical bill.

A household emergency.

That kind of uncertainty weighs heavily on a person. But over time, something changes.

You build an emergency fund.

Your savings grow.

You prepare for the unexpected.

And the financial uncertainty that once felt overwhelming begins to lose its grip.

You sleep a little better.

You worry a little less.

You feel a little more confident about the future.

Another topic we discussed was happiness and spending. At one point in our journey, Winnie and I sat down and created a simple list of the things that genuinely made us happy. We wanted to understand which experiences added real value to our lives. What surprised us was how little many of our favorite things actually cost. Once we understood what truly mattered, spending decisions became easier. Rather than cutting everything, we focused on keeping the things that brought us joy and reducing spending on the things that didn’t.This is one of the biggest misconceptions in personal finance:

People assume financial success requires eliminating everything enjoyable. I don’t believe that at all. If something genuinely brings value to your life, enjoy it.

The goal isn’t to spend less on everything.

The goal is to spend less on what doesn’t matter so you can spend more on what does. That lesson has shaped nearly every financial decision Winnie and I make today.

By the end of the evening, I felt grateful. Grateful to the ABWA for welcoming me into their community.

Grateful for the conversations that followed.

Grateful for the opportunity to share our story.

Most of all, I felt grateful because the experience reminded me why Powerplate Savers exists in the first place. Yes, Winnie and I have our own goals. We want to build a life we love and continue pursuing what we call our Gap Year(s) Goal. But our mission has always been bigger than our own journey. We want people to feel empowered around money.

We want financial conversations to feel less intimidating.

We want people to understand that financial success isn’t reserved for a select few — it’s built through awareness, intentional choices, and small actions repeated over time. Standing in front of that room, sharing our story, felt like a glimpse of that mission coming to life. And if even one person walked away feeling a little more hopeful, a little more confident, or a little more motivated to take control of their finances, then every bit of nervousness was worth it.

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