In this book an excerpt from ‘Future Rich Person’, author Haley Sackscreator of Mrs. Dow Jonesshares how an embarrassing 401(k) conversation set her money journey in motion.
When I was twenty, I wanted to be a comedian.
During the day I worked as a page at Late Show with David Letterman and at night I did stand-up and improv on the Lower East Side. In my spare time, I’ve made YouTube videos that you’ll never find (don’t even try), like “GRWM to Zip Zap Zop.”
Also, I used to babysit a boy named Winthrop on the Upper East Side (yes, his real name), and this little Napoleon made me work on my Internet videos when I let him watch wrestling instead of doing his homework. (Oh, and I also worked the front desk at a fancy SoHo Pilates studio favored by Karlie Kloss and the Olsen twins, and no, I didn’t have to sign a non-disclosure agreement, so ask me anything.)
I was rush This went on for years until, at the age of 25, I finally got my… big break (a warning to readers who may not like name dropping: I’m about to start dropping names): Lorne Michaels, the man who started “Saturday Night Live,” was looking for two creative socialites. I got the job next to Ben Marshall (whom you may now know as the redhead from “SNL”).
Dream job area. I went in there full of hope and energized Leslie Knope. I was crazy about it. Finally I had done it. I was supposed to get off the train at 8:30 am with the rest of corporate America, headed to my full-time job in a windowless office in Midtown! Pinch me.
But then, on my first day, HR had the audacity to ask about my 401(k) contributions and health insurance. Four-oh-what now? I could name every Taylor Swift relationship timeline, knew every Kardashian’s astrological sign, and could tell you exactly what Lindsay Lohan wore to court in 2010, but I couldn’t tell you what a retirement account or the S&P 500 were if my life depended on it. The other new hires confidently chose their plans and determined their contribution rates; I nodded along as if I was at a concert where I didn’t know the words.
I felt called. I didn’t know anything about money
When the meeting was over, I fled faster than Julia Fox ditched Kanye. Later that evening, as I sat in my apartment, the collection of designer bags I had spent thousands on was mocked from the corner (I was obsessed with looking rich instead of being rich), and something changed inside me. All my pop culture knowledge, all my creative talent, all my hustle – it was clear that none of it mattered if I couldn’t understand it basic finance for adults. And I didn’t.
This is what I meant when I said I looked just like you. Whatever you think you’re doing badly with your money, I did worse. Ignore your credit card statements? I don’t think I had a login. Spending too much on food? I ordered Nobu for breakfast. It turns out that rock shrimp tempura goes great with a cold brew! Don’t want to contribute to your retirement accounts anymore? I didn’t have one because I didn’t even know they existed.
And now something I had successfully laughed off or avoided for 25 years came back to haunt me. I felt humiliated. Miserable. Small.
Then I did what any self-respecting millennial would do: I pointedly ordered Thai food and googled “What is the difference between an IRA and a 401(k)The results? Videos of nerds in T-shirts standing in front of whiteboards saying, “What’s up, guys!” before nervously explaining index funds while avoiding eye contact with the camera.
After I had enough of the brothers, I watched a video where a woman told me to wash and reuse my paper towels to live frugally. I was like. . . is this the financial wisdom of our time? Great. So should I either become obsessed with the craziest life hacks to save money, or learn about investing from guys who may not have quite hit puberty yet? There had to be a better way.
Where was my financial Beyoncé? Someone who can make understanding money as exciting as reading the Daily Mail? Someone who didn’t make it growing wealth seems like a depressing journey of drying paper towels on a clothesline, but made it ambitious, chic and inspiring? I needed someone to show me that my life didn’t have to be bad now to improve my financial situation in the future.
I couldn’t find her. So I became her
The next morning I opened an incognito browser (because this mission was top secret) and started investigating personal financeas I made notes in my journal while reading articles and listening to podcasts. I researched every term I didn’t know. I have read all the books. I was like Elle Woods studying for the LSAT.
At first it felt like I was learning another language, but little by little the pieces fell together and I started taking action. I opened my first high-yield savings account and set up automatic transfers. I’ve learned to read my paycheck without panicking. I finally – finally – understood the magic of a 401(k) match. (It turns out if you work in comedy, they don’t offer that.)
I wasn’t perfect. I still spent too much on iced coffee and lip gloss at 3 p.m., but for the first time in my life, I felt like I was in control. I was so inspired by my new financial knowledge that I wanted to talk about it with everyone all the time. I was at brunch discussing credit scores and corporate profits with the same enthusiasm I once reserved for talking about Gigi Hadid. I got into crypto. I got out of crypto. I set an alarm on my phone in the middle of the night so I could trade the Chinese market.
Being good with money didn’t make me boring; it made me brave
It gave me the power to choose, to walk away, the power to build something bigger than myself. I knew there were so many people who needed this information and who needed to hear it in a way that made them feel powerful, not stupid.
So I started Mrs. Dow Jones. I posted memes and videos every day about the market and financial basics and quickly gained a following. After all my photos in the dark, it felt like something had finally landed. I created with a purpose. And it felt good.
When you lean into your biggest wound, that’s where the magic happens. The moment I stopped avoiding my finances and took control, my entire life changed. As I gained more net worth, I also gained more self-esteem.
Sourced from Future rich person by Haley Sacks. Copyright © 2026 by Haley Sacks. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without written permission from the publisher.
