Work is Not Mandatory: 10 Years of Early Retirement Reflections | Brad Barrett (ChooseFI)

When work becomes optional, a new question appears: who do you want to be now?

Brad Barrett retired in 2015 at age 35 after a 13 year career as an accountant. Since then, he’s spent the last decade experimenting with early retirement, building ChooseFI into one of the largest personal finance podcasts in the world, and refining what a meaningful life actually looks like after financial independence.

In this episode, Brad shares what pushed him toward financial independence, the key financial decisions that accelerated his path, and the surprising lessons he’s learned after 10+ years of optional work. We also talk about balance, identity, intentional living, and why some people stay one more year longer than they need to.

If you’re pursuing financial independence or wondering what life really looks like on the other side, this conversation will challenge you to think deeper about time, money, and what truly matters.

Want to build wealth and design a life around what matters most? Grab my book Own Your Time: https://marriagekidsandmoney.com/book

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

Why Brad started pursuing financial independence in his 20s

The financial decisions that helped him retire at 35

How to think differently about spending and intentionality

What early retirement is really like after the honeymoon phase

Why “one more year” can cost more than you think

Resources Mentioned:

ChooseFI Podcast: https://choosefi.com

ChooseFI Local Groups: https://choosefi.com/local

Monarch Money (track your net worth): https://marriagekidsandmoney.com/monarchmoney

Leave a voicemail for the show: https://marriagekidsandmoney.com/voicemail

Podcast Credits: Host: Andy Hill Editor: Johnny Sohl

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