430: Vicky Quit Corporate, Moved to 4 Countries, and Finally Stopped Feeling Behind

On this episode of the podcast, we’re joined by Vicky South for a deeply honest conversation about burnout, debt, emotional spending, and redefining success at 40.

Vicky is a British expat who has spent more than 15 years living across Vietnam, India, Hong Kong, and Argentina, navigating money across multiple countries and currencies while intentionally choosing a nontraditional path.

Despite being financially knowledgeable from a young age—even researching savings account interest rates as a child—she shares how emotional health, anxiety, and burnout shaped her financial decisions just as much as financial literacy did.

Now in the middle of an 18-month transition out of corporate life and into entrepreneurship, Vicky opens up about managing finances without a traditional paycheck, unlearning shame around money, and helping women understand that they are not “behind” just because their lives don’t follow conventional timelines.

What Vicky Discussed on the Podcast:

• How living across multiple countries shaped her perspective on money, freedom, and success.
• Why choosing not to buy property was an intentional decision—not a failure.
• Her early fascination with money and financial literacy.
• Why financial knowledge alone isn’t enough to build healthy money habits.
• The connection between anxiety, emotional health, shopping, and overspending.
• What burnout taught her about work, identity, and financial security.
• How she has stayed financially stable during an 18-month career pivot without a salary or pension.
• Why so many women feel “behind” financially by 40 and how to release comparison-based thinking.
• How teaching herself to invest during the 2008 banking crisis shaped her confidence with money.
• Lessons learned from managing finances across currencies, countries, and financial systems as an expat.
• Shame narratives and money beliefs she had to unlearn.
• Advice for women feeling embarrassed about debt, financial mistakes, or starting over later in life.

AND SO MUCH MORE

How to Keep Up With Vicky:

• Substack: Money — For Those Who Feel Behind
• LinkedIn: Vicky South
• Instagram: @vicsouthexplorer

New Book – Clever Girl Millionaire; A Guide to Redefining What’s Possible, Turning Ambitions into Actions, and Dreams into Millions – Available to order now

More Clever Girl Finance Resources:

👋 New to Clever Girl Finance? Start here: https://clevergirlfinance.com/start-here

❤ Get the best-selling Clever Girl Finance Books: clevergirlfinance.com/books ❤ Get access to 30+ free courses, worksheets, savings challenges, and our favorite banking resources: clevergirlfinance.com/course-packages

❤ Read the Clever Girl Finance Blog: clevergirlfinance.com/blog

❤ Follow us on Instagram: @clevergirlfinance