Today, we are popping a bottle of champagne from the first lounge to celebrate an awesome achievement with 'A Purple Life'. Purple has just completed her journey to Financial Independence, and has reached early retirement at age 30.

Purple first heard about the FI/RE movement in 2013 when her partner discovered it on Reddit of all places - however she didn't think much of it initially. It challenged her way of thinking and confronted societies programming, and so like most people she then came up a bunch of objections and reasons why it wasn't for her.

She was working in client services and advertising, and managed to work her way up to achieve her dream job running her own advertising and media agency within the firm. However, she found that even once she had climbed the corporate ladder and got the dream job she had always wanted, that she wasn't miraculously any happier than before. It turns out her top job actually wasn't actually all it was cracked up to be.

Reflecting back on the FIRE community, Purple read everything she could find on the topic and even began blogging about it in 2015 where she talked about her experiences with Finance, Food and Travel. She set an ambitious goal to retire in only 10 years - circa 2025, and aged 35.

Well fast forward to today- by adopting a disciplined saving and investing regime, increasing her income, maximising her tax leveraged accounts, and using things like geo-arbitrage she was able to smash her goal right out of the park and been able to retire in only half the time - and officially left her job a few weeks ago aged 30.

Whats more? She did so without needing to resort to 'Hustle Culture' and burning herself out. Rather than adopting a number of time-consuming small side hustles, she adopted a laser like focus and put all of her efforts into professional development and advancing her career to increase her income - whilst maxing out all of her tax advantaged accounts.

As a woman of colour she has also overcome many issues that most of us could never understand, and has reached FI without all of the privileges that many in the FIRE community have. Purple's life has also unfortunately been touched by tragedy with the loss of many loved ones, which actually strengthened her resolve to Retire Early so she could spend time with those who truly matter.
I am so happy to be able to interview such an inspirational figure, and learn the valuable lessons she has to pass on to those of us still our own Financial Independence journey.