Most people say they want financial freedom.
Very few ever define what that actually means.
And that's where everything goes wrong.
This video isn't about getting rich.
It's about getting free. For real.
I'm sharing this because I've lived both sides.
Sleeping on a couch.
My wife pregnant with our first child.
Halfway across the world in Dubai.
Selling everything I owned with one question looping in my head:
"Can I actually give them the life they deserve?"
I was trapped in time-for-money.
Burnt out.
Chasing cash thinking it would fix how I felt inside.
It didn't.
What changed everything was understanding this:
True freedom is downstream from financial freedom.
But money alone isn't the goal.
In this episode, I break down:
• Why most people misunderstand financial freedom
• The difference between external freedom and internal peace
• What "f*ck you money" really means
• Why a financial cushion changes how you choose clients, projects, and life
• The mistake I made that nearly wiped us out financially
• How scarcity destroys joy (Yes, even when you're "successful")
• The invisible scorecards that actually define a rich life
• Why most people chase status instead of fulfillment
• A simple, boring wealth-building strategy that actually works
• How to define your version of "enough"
This is honest.
Raw.
Sometimes uncomfortable.
Because financial freedom isn't about Lamborghinis or renouncing money altogether.
It's about:
• peace
• choice
• alignment
• integrity
• being able to say no without fear
It's about building a life you're proud of before you get there, not postponing happiness until some future number.
If you're building a business…
If you're providing for a family…
If you feel that internal pull for more meaning, not just more money…
Don't just watch this.
Use it.
——
In this video:
00:00 — The real question behind financial freedom
01:00 — Sleeping on a couch, wife pregnant, starting over
02:00 — The time-for-money trap
03:00 — Why chasing money didn't bring peace
04:05 — The five essential freedoms (and why money comes first)
05:15 — External freedom vs internal freedom
06:40 — Why success without peace isn't success
07:20 — What "fuck you money" actually means
08:40 — Saying no without fear
09:30 — The danger of scarcity-driven decisions
10:45 — The mistake that nearly wiped us out
12:00 — Financial freedom as the foundation
13:10 — How much money is actually enough?
14:20 — Making money vs building wealth
15:15 — The simple wealth-building flywheel
16:30 — Internal vs external scorecards
18:00 — Status games vs a life you're proud of
19:30 — Why happiness can't be delayed
20:45 — Defining your own version of freedom
21:50 — Final thoughts and what to do next
——
If this is our first time meeting, hey 👋🏼 I'm Chris Dufey, founder of The Rainmakers.
We help coaches and creators scale to $1M Profit with tiny teams and only working 2-4hrs a day.
A few years ago, I was sleeping on a couch, scrambling to build a business before my first daughter arrived.
She showed up. I wasn't ready.
Now, I've got four kids, homes in Bali and Australia, and I build 7- and 8-figure businesses that don't depend on me.
Quick timeline:
18: Became a trainer to get fit
21: Built a PT agency
25: Moved to Dubai, started a business
27: Moved to Bali to figure it out
28: Launched and lost a supplement brand
29: Started coaching fitness pros
31: Founded Coaches Cartel
35: Sold it
36: Consulted 6-9 figure CEOs
38: Started The Rainmakers
This channel is for founders who want simple, scalable businesses that buy back time with proven systems that just work.
Subscribe, drop a comment, and let's build a business you actually enjoy running.
