What We Wish We'd Known Ten Years Ago — Honest Advice to Our Younger Selves

There's a version of you from ten years ago who was doing her best — juggling work, family, identity, and money — and probably being way too hard on herself about all of it. What if you could sit her down and have a real conversation? Have you ever wondered… - Whether you're too focused on the day-to-day to see the bigger picture of where your life is actually headed? - If the definition of success you've been chasing is actually yours — or just one you inherited? - What it would feel like to stop people-pleasing and start designing a life on your own terms? In this episode, Susan and Sara get personal. They share where they each were a decade ago — deep in demanding careers, navigating new motherhood, and measuring success by someone else's yardstick — and what they know now that they wish they'd known then. It's honest, a little vulnerable, and full of the kind of perspective that only comes from living it. **In this episode, we cover:** - **The "good mom vs. good employee" myth:** Sara opens up about the fear that becoming a mother would diminish her value at work — and what she'd tell herself now. - **Overthinking the small stuff:** Susan shares a summer camp story that perfectly captures how easy it is to obsess over decisions that won't matter in ten years. - **Redefining success from the inside out:** Both hosts reflect on how their definitions of success have shifted — from climbing a ladder to building something meaningful on their own terms. - **The power of strategic life check-ins:** Why Sara believes you need to deliberately pause and ask, "Am I living the life I actually intended to be living?" - **Nothing is off the table:** Susan's reminder that when you're buried in responsibilities, it can feel like you have no options — but you usually have more than you think. - **Dreaming big and doing the work:** Sara's closing message about intentional living, letting go of "supposed to," and tapping into what you actually want. You can't go back and give your younger self a pep talk — but you can start listening to yourself a little more today. That's the whole point. **Chapters:** 0:00 - Today's Episode: What We Wish We Knew Ten Years Ago 0:53 - Where Susan Was Ten Years Ago: Partner Life, Four Kids, and the Clock Ticking 2:27 - Where Sara Was Ten Years Ago: Marriage, Fertility Fears, and a Career Identity Crisis 4:38 - The Things We Worried About That Weren't Worth It 8:22 - Susan on Working Midnight Hours — and Learning There's More Than One Way to Be a Good Mom 10:09 - What Did Success Look Like Ten Years Ago? 13:19 - Advice to Our Younger Selves: Listen to Yourself More 17:18 - Dream Big and Stop People-Pleasing 👋 If this episode hit close to home, we'd love to hear what you'd tell your younger self — drop it in the comments. And if you found this helpful, please like, subscribe, and share with a woman who needs to hear it. 📖 More honest conversations about money and life: https://www.sorellewealthpartners.com/blog Her Wealth: Unscripted is hosted by Susan Jones, JD, CFP®, CDFA® and Sara Gelsheimer, MBA, CFP®, co-founders of Sorelle Wealth Partners, a fee-only fiduciary wealth management firm serving women and families navigating divorce, widowhood, retirement, and other major life transitions, with offices in Boca Raton, FL and St. Louis, MO. Learn more at sorellewealthpartners.com. #WomenAndMoney #LifeTransitions #HerWealthUnscripted