What’s the neatest factor you ever did, and the way did it influence your monetary future? For Worldwide Girls’s Day 2025, I interviewed 27 girls and 27 males from various backgrounds to uncover the pivotal selections that formed their careers, funds, and private development. Whether or not it was leaving a company job, making a daring funding, or transferring to a brand new nation, one theme emerged: large modifications usually result in large rewards.
This put up highlights inspiring tales from girls who took calculated dangers, reshaped their lives, and redefined success on their very own phrases.
Olga Blasco, M&A Principal Companion, Development and Exit Technique Options, Lion Folks International, Dublin:
Blasco spent 20 years working within the company world and towards the tip, she didn’t like the best way issues have been going. “I used to be an SVP for a big American group, and I had no time to do the opposite issues that I liked to do. The neatest factor I ever did is depart the large company world and take time to consider how I may rework my life and discover my ikigai. The phrase Ikigai means utilizing my expertise to help issues that I’m captivated with, that the world wants, and that may maintain my livelihood.”
Ten years in the past, Blasco began a consultancy enterprise and moved to Turkey to dedicate a part of her life to non-profit work. At the moment, she pivots between Dublin, Istanbul, and Barcelona. She balances her position as M&A principal companion at Lion Folks International (Dublin) with private pursuits similar to supporting girls entrepreneurship as co-founder of JANA (Istanbul). She is a Board member of Clear Tech (Eire), and Girls in Localization (United States), in addition to writer of the e book, The Journey of EKİP: a recipe for long-lasting influence.
Jette Bilberg Lauritsen, Executive Secretary, Bygningsstyrelsen, Copenhagen:
“I had an older cousin I thought was super exciting. She was into astrology, reflexology, and Buddhist teachings. In 1988, I went with her to a Buddhist lecture. This was a huge experience and turning point for me. I thought, ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do with the rest of my life, but this is definitely going to be a part of it.’”
Bilberg says the smartest thing she’s ever done was to start working with her mind using the tools of ancient Buddhist methods. “This led me to doing volunteer work in the Buddhist Community in Copenhagen, which gave me deep satisfaction. I then decided I wanted to work full-time at my volunteer work for a while. To live this dream, I had to fix my financial situation and I needed to be debt free.”
No more taxis for Bilberg. “I always rode my bicycle. I ordered far less take away food, cooked for myself, and I didn’t buy clothes for a long time. I paid off my mortgage for my apartment and started to save so that I would have funds to live on while pursuing my dream and working full-time as a volunteer. I am so happy that I eventually made that dream happen.”
Barbara Ortiz, Electronics Engineer, MSA Safety Incorporated, Galway:
In 2018, Ortiz left South America for the first time alone to work as the head of a multidisciplinary research lab in the United States. “For about 12 months, I lived in an extreme and isolated environment where less than 10% of the staff were women.” She worked on a wide variety of scientific projects related to the study of the ozone layer, solar panels, UV radiation, geodesy, glaciology, seismology, and cosmic rays.
There were no negative financial implications associated with another smart move Ortiz made to Antarctica. “Besides paying me, they covered the cost of my clothes, food, and accommodation. That experience was so great that I now want to funnel my financial resources in the direction of seeing all the continents. I have lived and worked in Ireland and the French Alps. The next thing I would do is work as engineer in the Arctic.”
Katia Moskvitch, Head of Communications, IBM Analysis Europe, and writer of Neutron Stars: The Quest to Perceive the Zombies of the Cosmos, Züwealthy:
“The neatest factor I ever did was to write down my e book in the best way I needed to write down it. This was very sensible from each a profession growth perspective in addition to by way of private satisfaction,” Moskvitch says. After incomes her grasp’s diploma in Journalism (College of Western Ontario), and MPhil in Theoretical Physics (King’s School London), she labored as a journalist in physics and astronomy. She was contacted by an editor at Harvard College Press on LinkedIn suggesting that she write a e book.
“I needed to totally reside the expertise. I spent a yr travelling the world and I continuously had the chance to have my journey and lodging lined since I used to be additionally working at WIRED UK, a science, tech, and enterprise journal printed by Condé Nast. I at all times tried to mix alternatives to go to locations the place I may interview scientists. Some individuals plan their work and journey locations to align with seashores or Michelin-starred eating places. I have to be one of many few to make all of it about radio observatories.”
Sarah Hempel, Head of Sustainability, Axcel, Copenhagen:
“Once I was in highschool my Danish cousin got here to stick with us, and I believed she was fairly cool. I needed to be like her,” Hempel says. Her father’s aspect of the household is Danish, and she or he had a Danish passport. “The neatest factor I ever did was resolve to maneuver to Denmark by myself at age 19 for my bachelor’s diploma. College students from the EU/EEA and everlasting residents can examine at a college in Denmark tuition-free: I used to be capable of full my complete college diploma with none debt.”
Hempel has no regrets. “Excessive earnings earners pay about 56% in tax plus there are capital good points taxes. Nonetheless, have a look at what you get. We’ve got free schooling, free healthcare, low crime charges, and an awesome public transportation system. For 20 years I simply rode my bike in all places. I solely lately purchased a automobile. Not having to personal a automobile the complete time has allowed me to take a position extra of my cash. All these small issues add as much as make a big distinction.”
Yolanda Beattie, Founder, Yo&Co Pty Ltd, Sydney:
“The neatest factor I ever did is beginning my very own enterprise. In 2018 I had been struggling to carry out at my company job promoting DEI consulting providers. It was robust producing sufficient income. After going through a sequence of obstacles, a development technique I had been engaged on fell aside and I believed in that immediate, ‘Get me out of right here.’”
Beginning her personal consultancy enterprise has given her artistic and industrial freedom to do work that she loves with individuals she enjoys working with. “I don’t know but what the monetary implications will likely be as I’m nonetheless a piece in progress, however I’m hopeful I gained’t be worse off. I may not but be doing properly by way of cash within the financial institution, however the undertaking of ‘being human’ is my biggest reward and it pays off every single day with the heartfelt stuff like cultivating love, creativity, pleasure and knowledge.”
Shweta Roongta, Enterprise Analyst, UTI Worldwide Restricted, Singapore:
The neatest factor Roongta ever did is to start out investing on the age of 18. Her first funding was in Bajaj Finance. “My dad had steered I put all my financial savings ($600) into that one inventory. I needed to discover myself and do my very own analysis, so I made a decision to place one third of my cash in that inventory, one other one third in DCB Financial institution, and the final third in Andhra Financial institution. I made cash on two of the three shares. This early investing expertise gave me a robust sense of economic safety: I’m very comfy taking dangers.”
Roongta is 31 years previous and has an never-ending thirst to be taught something and all the things. “I’m a Chartered Accountant in addition to a CFA charterholder. I’ve labored in finance and accounting after which transitioned into funding administration. I’ve labored in India, Thailand, and Switzerland and for the previous eight years in Singapore.”
Sandra Krueger, Gross sales Advisor, Lively Coaching, LLC, Chicago:
Krueger’s smartest profession transfer was leaving Chicago to work in Australia. “Transferring distant from my family and friends and beginning over gave me a world perspective. I discovered the right way to talk in the best way that Australians desire to speak.”
Krueger began in gross sales however had no contacts. “My boss informed me to strive contacting the highest 10 superannuation funds that that they had not been capable of do enterprise with. One of many fund managers informed me, ‘No’ on my first name, however I saved calling him. On the fourth name, he stated, ‘Look, there isn’t any level in you persevering with to name. We had a foul expertise along with your agency.’ I stated, ‘Nicely in the event you had a foul expertise with our agency, I’d like to herald our CEO to apologize.’ Two months later, we did an enormous cope with them.”
Her high trait is perseverance, and importantly she will be able to cope with uncertainty. “I’ve discovered that 20% of the time the client is correct, I’m losing my time. However it’s not a waste to develop relationships, they usually would possibly refer me different enterprise. This occurs about 80% of the time.”
Alice Tang, Chief Working Officer, Asset Administration, MA Monetary Group, Sydney:
The neatest factor Tang ever did is to say, “Sure” when a possibility got here as much as work on her first know-how undertaking whereas at Macquarie Group in 2016. “Previous to this chance I had labored in exterior audit, inner audit, after which fund administration, however tech was totally new to me. For a two-year interval, I led the worldwide implementation of Salesforce for 1,200 funding bankers throughout 30 completely different markets. I labored with many various cultures and business traces, and it taught me a lot.”
Tang’s compensation didn’t change throughout her two years on that undertaking, however because it instantly set her up for a job within the C-Suite, the monetary implications of doing that “sensible factor” have been vital.
Key Takeaway
The neatest monetary and profession choices usually come from embracing change. Success isn’t at all times about following a standard path. It’s about making intentional, brave selections that align with private values and long-term targets. Whether or not it’s switching careers, making a daring monetary transfer, or investing in self-growth, the important thing takeaway is evident: calculated dangers result in significant rewards. What’s the neatest choice you’ve ever made?
