Newsletter 51: 💸 How to Rethink Wealth When You’re Starting From $0

If you had to make your first million from scratch—no savings, no connections—what would you do?
This week, we break down hard-won money lessons from some of the sharpest financial minds, including Scott Galloway, Cody Sanchez, Lewis Howes, and Jaspreet Singh, as featured on Jay Shetty’s podcast. From redefining wealth and rewiring your beliefs, to practical steps for turning your skills into income, this issue maps out a new relationship with money—starting from zero.

🧠 Insight #1: Homeownership ≠ Financial Freedom

For decades, we’ve been told that owning a home is the ultimate sign of “making it.” But what if that dream is actually holding you back? Scott Galloway challenges the default path of job-marriage-house-kids and urges us to rethink what financial security really looks like.

“Buying a home is meant to be an enhancement to your life. It's not a suicide pact and it may not be right for everybody.”

Whether it’s renting longer, geo-arbitraging to a cheaper country, or using your capital to build income-generating assets instead of tying it up in a mortgage—financial freedom starts with questioning inherited beliefs.

🧠 Insight #2: Saving Money Can Be a Game

Most people treat saving like punishment. But what if it could actually be fun? Scott Galloway shared how he and his college friends gamed their way into financial survival.

“We literally made a game out of it. In the summer of 1985, I survived for 12 weeks on 78 bucks a week including rent.”

Try gamifying your savings with a friend, sibling, or partner. Set joint goals. Track wins on a whiteboard. Celebrate milestones. It’s not about being cheap—it’s about getting creative with constraints and making saving feel like building a scoreboard, not a sacrifice.

🧠 Insight #3: Your Beliefs Might Be Blocking Your Bank Account

It’s easy to blame external factors for a lack of money—but many people unconsciously sabotage their financial growth because of internal beliefs. Jay Shetty lays it out clearly: if deep down you believe “money is bad” or “rich people are evil,” you’ll always repel wealth.

“If you believe that people who make a lot of money are bad… you’re going to stay in lack.”

The first step to abundance is rewriting the stories you tell yourself about money. Start by examining your early money memories and how your parents spoke about wealth. Then, choose a new narrative—one that empowers you to earn, save, and invest without guilt.

🔍 Feel Like You're Drowning in Financial Advice?

In today’s world, information overload can make personal finance feel more overwhelming than empowering. Between TikTok gurus, YouTube algorithms, and contradictory Reddit threads—how do you know who to trust?

That’s where Refind comes in. It curates the best articles on money, investing, and personal growth—tailored to you. No fluff, no hype—just smart reads from trusted sources.

👉 Subscribe free and join 500K+ readers making better decisions every day.

Book Review

Scaling Smart - The CEO's Playbook for Building a Self-Running Business
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.6/5) - The Operating System Your Business Needs

Why This Changes Everything

Most scaling books promise growth - this one delivers freedom. Serial entrepreneur Rich & Kathy Fettke reveals the exact blueprint that took three of their companies to $10M+ without round-the-clock oversight. This isn't theory; it's a field-tested ops manual for designing a business that thrives when you're not there.

Ideal For

✔ Founders stuck in "operator mode" despite having a team
✔ CEOs who dread vacations because everything falls apart
✔ Second-stage startups (1-5M revenue) hitting growth walls

The Verdict

This book does for business systems what Atomic Habits did for personal routines. Worth reading twice - once to absorb, once to implement.

🔥 Pro Tip: The included "CEO Time Audit" alone can reclaim 15+ hours/week

👉 Build Your Freedom Business Here 👈

🔚 Final Thoughts

Today’s insights remind us that true wealth starts in the mind. Whether it’s questioning the status quo (like owning a home), turning saving into a creative challenge, or unlearning limiting money beliefs—we all have the power to rewrite our financial future.

These takeaways come from a powerful episode of the Jay Shetty Podcast featuring money experts like Scott Galloway, Cody Sanchez, Lewis Howes, and Jaspreet Singh. If you want to dive deeper into their wisdom, watch the full video here:
👉 MONEY EXPERTS: If I Had to Make 1 MILLION From $0 — Here's EXACTLY What I'd Do!

Stay sharp, stay spiky — be the hedgehog with a strategy
— Mindy
Founder, Hedgehog Huddle

P/S: The biggest cost in personal finance isn’t bad investments—it’s indecision. These free newsletters help you make smarter money moves without hours of research.