Millennial and global traveler Winnie Sabbat is the financial director of a multi-million dollar marketing firm in New York. She is also the author of Petite-A-Petite: One Woman’s Journey Across the Globe in Search of Happiness. At just 32-years-old, she is expected to graduate with her MBA degree from Fordham University in May. With her sharpened financial sophistication, she makes it her mission to make companies and brands money.
Though Sabbat has achieved success at a young age it was the games she saw executives play with her peers that changed the course of how she approached her personal savings.
“I created a ‘Thank U, Next’ — like an ‘F-You Bank Account' — and put money aside to cover months of upcoming expenses should they be required. I recall being in executive meetings where management wouldn’t give a worthy employee a suitable raise or promotion simply because they believed the employee had no other options and wouldn’t take the risk of leaving the firm as they depended on their current job.”
Sabbat believes every woman needs a bank account that provides them with the emotional freedom to feel confident about the choices they may have to make. Whether it be a cushion to cover monthly expenses should an emergency occur, or a tangible resource to take away the anxiety of feeling like you don't have your sh*t together financially — every woman needs a "Thank U, Next" account.
To Leave Your Job
Let’s face it, we aren’t all living our best vocational lives. “Sometimes you will find yourself in a job where it just isn’t a fit and for your sanity’s sake, it’s best to leave and give yourself time to get your mind right before you start looking again,” Sabbat states.
To Leave Your Relationship
Winnie Sabbat was born and raised in Haiti. She shares that in her culture, the man is considered the head of the household and breadwinner. “As a woman, you can find yourself at (a man’s) mercy because you depend on him financially. We've all heard stories of people who are stuck in an (abusive) relationship and can't leave because they don't have the money.”
To Launch A Business
If your ideal job pays less than your current position, you’re in a suffocating job or you simply want to try a new career path, this account gives you the flexibility to choose what’s best for you. “Millionaires in the U.S. are made by entrepreneurs. To start your own company takes guts, grit and money. You may have to work without breaking-even for a year or even two,” Sabbat shares. Having a "Thank U, Next" account provides those with an entrepreneurial spirit the confidence to take the risk to launch.
To Move To Another Country
Sabbat understands that sometimes a city's allure- especially one’s hometown- can run its course, and women may want to move elsewhere to have a fresh start. “A reserved bank account will provide you with the ability to do just that, and that stash makes decision making a bit easier.”
To Tend to Loved Ones
“Tending to an aging parent, sick child or spouse can be stressful enough. But when you have to choose between showing up at work because you need the money versus staying by your loved ones’ bedside, it can take an emotional toll that can have lasting damage.” As more millennials start tending to aging parents or serving as caregivers, this bank account allows you to take needed time away from work and/or hire assistance to support your loved ones.
Sabbat says the account should have at least three months of net income. “It took me over a year to save that much I started small. I know this is a lot but once you get there it will significantly increase your confidence in your ability to do whatever you want. Your confidence will shine through knowing you have a cushion. Trust me!”
It was important for Sabbat to let the amount in her "Thank U, Next" account grow so she could — as the Ariana Grande song suggests — walk away from deals and people that aren’t best suited for her. “My self-reliance created an energy that was felt, and I was more respected because I wasn’t seen as dependent on the company.”
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