The Time Freedom Podcast

Rebecca Herbst on How Freedom Made Her a More Generous Person

Episode Summary

Today on the podcast, Brian and Kirby welcome Rebecca Herbst. Rebecca, 38 and married to her husband Joe, lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with their two-year-old son and a baby girl on the way. Both Rebecca and Joe retired early in their early 30s. Rebecca now runs a small nonprofit called Yield and Spread, which promotes finance as a force for good. In this episode, Rebecca gets refreshingly honest about what life actually looks like after reaching financial independence (FI). She and Brian dig into how FI doesn't solve your problems, it just gives you options. The conversation shifts into an exploration of charitable giving, where Rebecca breaks down her philanthropy pledge framework and challenges Brian (and listeners) to move from reactive giving to proactive, impact-oriented generosity. Along the way, Brian shares a personal story about how his money upbringing made giving feel uncomfortable, and why he's ready to change that.

Episode Notes

Top 5 Takeaways:

1. Financial independence (FI) doesn't mean your life is figured out. Rebecca reached FI at 32 and says it’s taken years to design a life she loves.
2. Moving from a low cost of living city back to a high cost one was the right call for Rebecca's family, even though it technically moved her further from “full FI.” Life design matters more than the number.
3. Time freedom with toddlers is real, but it looks different. It's not about open calendars. It's about having the option to be present and sharing the load with your partner.
4. You don't have to be a billionaire to make a meaningful charitable impact. Rebecca's philanthropy pledge starts at just 1% of income, and the math works out to about $100 a month for many people.
5. Proactive giving feels better and has more impact than reactive giving. Rebecca recommends a three-bucket framework: family, emotional connection, and measurable impact.

Chapters: 

• 0:00 – Welcome and Personal Connections
• 1:12 – Meet Rebecca Herbst and Her Financial Independence Journey
• 4:25 – Early Career and the Path to FI
• 6:17 – Achieving Financial Independence at 32
• 8:35 – Parenthood and the Realities of Financial Independence
• 13:54 – How Time Freedom Changes with Life Stages
• 21:10 – Balancing Family Life and Time Freedom
• 23:09 – The 1% Pledge and the Power of Charitable Giving
• 32:53 – How to Give More Effectively and Measure Impact
• 40:53 – Using Finance as a Force for Good

REBECCA HERBST 

Rebecca Herbst is the founder of Yield and Spread, a nonprofit on a mission to promote finance as a force for good. A former competitive rower turned early retiree, Rebecca left her career in commercial real estate in her early 30s after reaching financial independence alongside her husband Joe. She lives in Salt Lake City with her husband, their two-year-old son, and a baby girl arriving very soon! You can connect with Rebecca at yieldandspread.org.