Avoiding Money Ensures It Avoids You (Image Credits: Unsplash)
Emma Grede, cofounder of Skims and Good American, directly confronts a persistent cultural barrier for women in business. In her book Start With Yourself: A New Vision for Work and Life, she argues that shying away from discussions about money limits professional growth and broader impact. Her message arrives at a time when women stand poised to influence a significant share of global wealth.
Avoiding Money Ensures It Avoids You
Grede opens with a stark warning that captures her unapologetic stance. “If you elegantly avoid the subject of money,” she stated, “money will somehow elegantly avoid you.” This line underscores her push against longstanding taboos that label financial ambition as impolite or self-centered.
Many women grew up viewing money talks as rude, a notion Grede seeks to dismantle. She observes that people often assume a focus on earnings signals a lack of deeper values. Yet Grede insists this view misses the point: compensation should align with meaningful contributions.
Compensation for Impactful Work
Grede advocates for women to seek fair pay in roles that matter to them. She connects personal fulfillment with financial reward, urging a shift from apology to expectation. This approach, she argues, dismantles biases that equate wealth-building with selfishness.
Her perspective echoes earlier calls for affluent women to channel resources strategically. Investor Kay Koplovitz once noted that women donate generously to causes they champion but could also direct funds toward aligned investments, such as startups led by women. Grede builds on this by emphasizing self-prioritization as a foundation for wider generosity.
From Personal Growth to Philanthropy
Wealth accumulation enables philanthropy, according to Grede, rather than competing with it. She points to her own companies, which pursued significant goals and later supported giving efforts once profitable. “We have to put money at the center of the conversation,” she said. “We have to start with money in the same way that we have to start with ourselves.”
Research from HSBC reinforces her observations. Affluent women consistently prioritize retirement savings over investing across life stages. Those in their 20s focus on family planning, while women in their 40s emphasize elder care. Grede sees this pattern as women placing others first, often at the expense of their own financial expansion.
Women and the Coming Wealth Shift
By 2030, women will control 40% of global wealth, HSBC projects. This forecast amplifies the timeliness of Grede’s advice. She warns that without addressing self-focused financial strategies, women risk forgoing opportunities to multiply their influence.
Grede’s ventures exemplify her philosophy. Skims ranked No. 1,168 on the 2024 Inc. 5000 list, demonstrating scalable success in purpose-driven apparel. Good American similarly thrived by targeting inclusivity, proving profitability and mission can coexist.
Grede’s call challenges women to rewrite internal scripts around money and ambition. Building wealth positions individuals to drive larger change, from business innovation to charitable impact.
Key Takeaways
- Discussing money openly attracts financial opportunities and dismantles outdated biases.
- Prioritizing personal wealth growth enables greater philanthropy and support for others.
- With 40% of global wealth shifting to women by 2030, strategic investing outpaces mere saving.
What steps will you take to center money in your career conversations? Share your thoughts in the comments.
