224 : Defining What "Enough" Means for Your Life with Susie Ade

In this episode: Defining “enough,” FIRE mindset shifts, intentional career design, sabbaticals as low-risk experiments, and taking action to find clarity.

Episode Summary

Susie Ade—mental health and wellbeing program manager at Google and a certified career coach—shares how discovering financial independence changed not just how they spend, but how they make decisions about work, time, and meaning. Susie and Adam explore what it looks like to define “enough” from the inside out: using daily joy, energy, and alignment (not comparison or consumerism) as the measuring stick.

They also dig into Susie’s unconventional path at Google and a three-month sabbatical working at a winery in Australia—an intentional reset that helped clarify what Susie wanted next. A recurring theme: clarity rarely comes from overthinking; it comes from running thoughtful experiments and building a “bias toward action” within safe boundaries.

Guest Bio

Susie Ade is a certified career coach (CPCC) and mental health and wellbeing program manager at Google. Over nearly a decade at Google, Susie has held roles across sales, YouTube’s Intelligence Desk, and people development. Susie coaches employees internally and works with private clients who want more fulfillment, clarity, and alignment in their careers.

Resources & Books Mentioned

• Mr. Money Mustache blog
• Your Money or Your Life — Vicki Robin & Joe Dominguez
• The Simple Path to Wealth — JL Collins
• Designing Your Life — Bill Burnett & Dave Evans
• StrengthsFinder 2.0 — Tom Rath
• ChooseFI podcast
• Headspace (meditation app)
• The Tim Ferriss Show #542: Chris Dixon & Naval Ravikant on Web3
• Mindful FIRE ep 14 with Morgan Bria: mindfulfire.org/14

Guest Contact Information

• Website: susieade.com
• LinkedIn: Susie Ade

Key Takeaways

• Define “enough” by looking at a real day. Notice what reliably brings joy and meaning (walks, cooking, connection) and let that inform your targets—not someone else’s highlight reel.
• FIRE reframes spending as “life energy.” When money becomes time and energy, it’s easier to break patterns of consumerism and impulsive buying.
• Sabbaticals can be powerful, practical experiments. Plant the seed early (think ~6 months), plan a clean handoff, and go in with intention rather than escaping.
• Build a bias toward action. You can’t think your way to clarity; test the next small step, learn, and iterate within safe boundaries.