A WOMAN who was raking in £236k a year in her 20s has revealed why she opted to leave her high-flying salary behind.

Nischa Shah, 30, spent nearly a decade working as an investment banker rolling in the big bucks but decided to leave last year at the age of 29.

3

3

But she has since decided to take an 84% pay cut to become an influencer on YouTube – and she doesn’t regret it one bit.

The California-based woman spent nearly a decade climbing the corporate ladder only decide her job wasn’t ‘fulfilling.’

Now, Nischa runs a YouTube channel using her knowledge from her previous job to help overs grow their personal finances.

Despite making a lot less, she says she finds the change in career ‘liberating.’

Speaking to NewsWeek, Nischa urged others to stop chasing money and do what makes you truly happy.

The former banker explained that she spent the last nine years ‘climbing the corporate ladder in investment banking, securing promotions, taking on additional responsibilities, and negotiating for higher pay and bigger bonuses.’

I realised that the corporate world, at its core, owes you nothing beyond a paycheck

Nischa Shah

But she soon realised how fickle the industry could be.

While she was fortunate to get lots of opportunities while working there and learn lots about the industry – over the years it soon took a toll on her mental health.

“I realised that the corporate world, at its core, owes you nothing beyond a paycheck,” she added.

Nischa added that there was a time her mentor, who had been in the industry for two decades, was fired on the spot – and Nischa was immediately offered her position.

“One evening, while we were both working late, her phone rang. After a brief conversation, she left her desk and never returned,” she wrote. 

“Moments later, my manager summoned me and told me that I was promoted, explaining that my new role would closely mirror hers, covering the same clients.

“The revelation that she had been let go by HR, at the very moment I was being promoted, was jarring and made my supposed moment of celebration feel low.”

There was also a pressure to work as many hours as possible, which would of course, reflect in her salary – but this notion left her disenfranchised.

Back in 2021, she decided to start a YouTube channel dedicated to helping those gain financial freedom – just as she wanted to do.

And earlier this year, she was finally able to walk away from the job thanks to her 900,000 followers.

Not only does she just make videos, she also has a spending tracker available to buy to help others gain control over their money.

The full-time influencer may have turned her back on her six-figure role, but she says she has no regrets.

“My income [isn’t] directly tied to the hours I work [anymore], but rather, to the impact I make, which is liberating,” she gushed.

“I embraced what I truly loved and came out of my comfort zone. My passion for a greater purpose became my sole focus, leaving no room for concern about others’ opinions.

“My path may not suit everyone, but I hope that by sharing my experience, I can inspire others and provide the courage needed to pursue dreams that they may have delayed or doubted.”

3