Building a Business for Lifestyle or Legacy?

Would you rather build a business that lets you drop $300 on dinner and buy cute dresses on autopilot… or build an empire that might pay off big someday, but requires scrimping, sacrificing, and seriously uncomfortable money convos along the way?

In this episode, Sydney and Audrina unpack the very real tradeoffs of entrepreneurship, especially when it comes to money, lifestyle, and long-term vision. Audrina shares what it was like to walk away from a cushy corporate salary (and the easy lifestyle that came with it) to build something that lights her up… even if it means budgeting every dollar right now. And Sydney shares what it’s been like to never collect a paycheck from someone else, just risk, reward, and reinvesting it all back in the business.

They also go deep on how to talk money with your team, without oversharing, overcompensating, or accidentally creating chaos. Because open-book leadership is powerful… but transparency still needs boundaries.

In this conversation, you’ll hear:

• Why the empire-building path is not glamorous (but can still be the right choice)
  
  
  
• What Audrina gave up (and gained) when she left the paycheck life behind
  
  
  
• Why business owners often overlook the real value of capital, especially when it’s fundraised
  
  
  
• Smart, low-effort ways to start building passive income as a founder
  
  
  
• How to have that awkward equity convo with your business partners (without blowing things up)
  
  
  
• What to do when your favorite employee asks for a raise you can’t afford—and how to keep the relationship strong anyway
  
  
  
• A candid look at how different cultures handle money transparency at work
  
  
  
• The blueprint for having honest money talks with your team: what to share, what to keep private, and how to build trust without giving away the farm
  
  
  
• How to spot early signs that you and your business partner aren’t financially aligned, and why it matters a lot
  
  
  

If you’ve ever wrestled with money guilt, team transparency, or the big question of whether it’s worth sacrificing now to build something bigger later… this one’s for you.

Connect with us:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swearingbyitpod/

Join our newsletter, we swear you’ll love it: https://link.summitchasersnetwork.com/widget/form/7XkfV0qriC3EHLqskyyx

LinkedIn:
Audrina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audrinablackburn/
Sydney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydneymsherman/