So Money with Farnoosh Torabi

Episode 1918: From $100K in Debt to a Seven-Figure Net Worth
Guest: Rose Hahn
Date: December 15, 2025

Overview

In this inspiring episode, Farnoosh Torabi welcomes Rose Hahn—YouTuber, money educator, and author of Add a Zero—to discuss her extraordinary journey from $100,000 in student debt to building a seven-figure net worth. Through candid conversation, they explore how following the "traditional script" doesn’t guarantee wealth or happiness, and why redefining success, building assets, and recalibrating "enough" are essential for today’s generation. Rose reveals the mindset shifts behind her escape from debt, leveraging unique skills, overcoming burnout, and what true wealth means beyond the numbers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Financial Script vs. Reality

• Rose’s Early Career & Debt:
  • Graduated from NYU with a finance degree and $100,000 in student loan debt.
  • Worked her way up on Wall Street and was celebrated for her financial accomplishments but felt unfulfilled and burnt out.
  • "I gave my entire year of my life waking up at 5am… and walking out with, okay, 30,000 just because. Also, like, after taxes… it was really like 15,000." (07:30–07:40, Rose)
  • Observed that even her managing director—seemingly at the peak of success—felt trapped:
    • "'Oh man, when am I ever going to be able to stop working? I just want to be with my kids.' ...That just really hit me… they don’t actually want to be there. They’re just there for the money." (08:18–08:48, Rose)

2. Changing Paradigms: Income ≠ Wealth

• The old formula—elite education and a high-paying job—doesn't guarantee security or satisfaction today.
• Emphasizes that owning assets (stocks, real estate, businesses) is crucial for true wealth:
  • "Your job is not an asset, it’s just a paycheck. An asset is something that you own that will provide you income whether you work or not." (10:37–11:10, Rose)

3. Leverage & Entrepreneurial Mindset

• Leverage isn’t just about money—it’s also about maximizing your skills and passions.
  • "The ultimate leverage… is what you’re good at, what you’re passionate about, and the intersection of those two things with what people will pay for." (12:57–13:22, Rose)
• Rose’s journey: quitting Wall Street, freelancing, real estate, exploring hobbies, and finally starting an online business teaching financial literacy on YouTube.
• The importance of business models that need little capital:
  • Packaging and selling information online (digital products) as opposed to physical goods.

4. Role Models and Mindset Shifts

• Marie Forleo, an online entrepreneur, became Rose’s virtual mentor, affirming that "doing what you love" could be lucrative if paired with the right strategy.
  • "…it’s so important to have role models." (17:15, Rose)
  • Also learned from a college professor who blended a love of teaching with real estate investment for financial freedom.

5. Building Revenue Streams & Embracing Uncertainty

• Rose’s sources of income:
  • 90% from her own online programs and digital products
  • 8% from YouTube AdSense
  • 2% from affiliate income & occasional brand deals
• On navigating uncertainty as an entrepreneur vs. employee: "We are in a time where we need to get really comfortable with uncertainty because that’s just the reality. As an entrepreneur or employee…" (25:04–25:21, Rose)

6. The Power of Betting on Yourself

• Rose’s first steps: Hosting free investing meetups for women, then slowly building her YouTube channel (often for years with minimal feedback or income).
• The importance of self-belief and persistence:
  • "It took a year every single week, 50 hours a week… with five views per video… I stuck with it for a year… I don’t have anything else. I need this to work. So that also helped like not having Plan B." (30:36–31:13, Rose)
• First viral video: "Fidelity Index Funds for Beginners," followed by more successes in 2020 during COVID.

7. Millennials & Rewriting Financial Rules

• Millennials are confronting economic realities: fewer kids, delayed home-buying, instability in traditional retirement.
• "There’s really not much we can count on will be the exact same even a year from now. So more than ever, we have to place faith in ourselves… Bet on ourselves." (35:16–35:40, Rose)
• Essential advice:
  • Focus on "value creation"—what you can uniquely offer the marketplace.
  • Continuously upskill to remain indispensable, whether employed or self-employed.
  • Clarity about personal values is more important than following external scripts.

8. Defining ‘Enough’: Burnout & Recalibration

• After crossing $1M net worth, Rose realized more money didn’t bring peace or joy:
  • "I reached the point where I was actually not happy. I made all this money… but I was also burnt out." (38:58–39:22, Rose)
• Downsized her business to reclaim time for relationships and hobbies:
  • "Now I’m like doing [fire dancing] every day and feeling so fulfilled… Even if all the money goes away… those moments with your loved ones… that’s the heart of what is enough for me." (39:25–40:23, Rose)
• Farnoosh draws a full-circle narrative: "You’re getting updates in real life, in real time, on your own terms." (41:24, Farnoosh)

Notable Quotes

• "Your job is not an asset, it’s just a paycheck. An asset is something that you own that will provide you income whether you work or not."
  — Rose Hahn, 11:01

• "The ultimate leverage… is what you’re good at, what you’re passionate about, and the intersection of those two things with what people will pay for."
  — Rose Hahn, 12:57

• "There’s really not much we can count on will be the exact same even a year from now. So more than ever, we have to place faith in ourselves."
  — Rose Hahn, 35:16

• "I reached the point where I was actually not happy. I made all this money… but I was also burnt out."
  — Rose Hahn, 38:58

• "Even if all the money goes away… those moments with your loved ones… that’s the heart of what is enough for me."
  — Rose Hahn, 40:10

Segment Timestamps

• [02:24] Burnout and the hollowness of “success”
• [06:35] Realization the financial script wasn’t delivering—“expectations versus reality”
• [10:05] Why a six-figure income doesn’t make you wealthy; the need to own assets
• [12:56] The true meaning of leverage in wealth-building
• [17:15] Importance of role models in pursuing nontraditional paths
• [24:52] Rose’s current revenue streams and embracing entrepreneurial uncertainty
• [29:36] Early signals that betting on herself could pay off
• [31:27] The first video to “take off” on YouTube and early financial wins
• [35:07] How millennials are rewriting—or rejecting—the old rules of money
• [38:58] The recalibration: stepping back from chasing “more” to rediscover joy and balance
• [41:24] Closing affirmation: crafting a life of presence and authenticity

Memorable Moments

• The story of the "successful" Wall Street director who still longed for time with family—an image that catalyzed Rose’s entire financial awakening. (08:00–09:00)
• Rose’s frank admission that more money meant more complexity, not peace:
  • "…when you make more money, then you have more investments, and then you have higher tax bills, so then you have more advisors and more insurance. And my life, like, got complicated, and I was losing peace." (38:58–39:22)
• The delight in earning her literal first dollar (or 30 cents) from YouTube and realizing passive income could become real. (32:21–32:34)

Final Takeaways

• Wealth is not about income but about building and owning assets.
• Leverage your unique skills and passions—combine them with market needs for exponential growth.
• True “enough” is found in clarity, balance, and time with loved ones, not just financial milestones.
• Millennials and future generations must become adaptable, proactive, and continually self-reliant—bet on yourself, not on a single job or institution.

To learn more: Check out Rose Hahn’s book, Add a Zero: A Step by Step Guide to Financial Freedom and Getting to Your First Million, and her content at RoseHahn.com and on YouTube.