What if the career and financial choices you've been making aren't really yours — but instead reflect what you were programmed to want?

In this episode, I sit down with Billy Zerillo, founder of Your Money Your Purpose, to discuss the intersection of money, identity, and living a life that's truly aligned with what matters most to you.

Billy brings a unique approach to financial advising — one that starts not with investment returns, but with the stories and beliefs about money we've carried since childhood. His clients are primarily women executives, lawyers, business owners, and entrepreneurs who are ready to stop spending, saving, and earning on autopilot and start making intentional choices.

We explore:

• Why so many high achievers find themselves in careers and financial patterns that don't actually reflect their values
• How childhood money stories shape financial decisions we make as adults
• The powerful reframe for anyone considering a pay cut to pursue more meaningful work
• What "golden handcuffs" really cost us — and how one CFO broke free without sacrificing her lifestyle
• The dangerous myth of "just one more year" and why waiting to live the life we want is a gamble we can't afford
• How status-driven spending keeps us trapped in work we don't love
• Why curiosity and awareness are the most underrated tools in both financial and career alignment

We also dive into identity — how our job titles can become a kind of prison, and what it means to let go of who we've been in order to step into who we're becoming.

This conversation will resonate deeply if you've ever wondered whether the life you're building is the one you actually want.

Connect with Billy: LinkedIn

Resources mentioned:

• The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware
• The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel

Returning to Soul is a podcast for lawyers and other high achievers seeking deeper meaning, purpose, and fulfillment in their work and lives. Hosted by Jessie Brown — former lawyer turned career coach, purpose guide, and retreat facilitator based in Arizona.