The Biggest Mistake I Made Chasing "Financial Freedom"
Chris Dufey Podcast
Most people say they want financial freedom. Very few ever define what that actually means. And that’s where everything goes wrong. This video isn’t about getting rich. It’s about getting free. For real. I’m sharing this because I’ve lived both sides. Sleeping on a couch. My wife pregnant with our first child. Halfway across the world in Dubai. Selling everything I owned with one question looping in my head: ”Can I actually give them the life they deserve?” I was trapped in time-for-money. Burnt out. Chasing cash thinking it would fix how I felt inside. It didn’t. What changed...
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The Conversation Most Men Won’t Have | Sharran Srivatsaa & Chris Dufey
Chris Dufey Podcast
Most people think money fixes everything. It doesn’t. It just exposes what you never defined in the first place. My recent conversation with Sharran Srivatsaa (Acquisition.com President) starts with a quiet tension: building something big while trying not to lose the people who matter most. Fatherhood. Money. Ambition. Guilt. All colliding at once. The truth is this: More income without a framework doesn’t buy freedom. It buys anxiety with better branding. In this episode, we go deep on what actually works: • Why freezing your lifestyle is the real cheat code • The exact definition of...
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Every Funnel I Tried Failed… Except This One
Chris Dufey Podcast
Most funnels don’t fail quietly. They drain your time. Your energy. And your belief that this shit can actually work. So I tested every (yes, every) funnel so you don’t have to. VSLs. Webinars. Challenges. Tripwires. Quiz funnels. DM scripts. All of it. It took me nine months, and more money than I care to admit. And here’s the truth no one wants to say out loud: Most funnels suck. Unless you’re already internet famous… Have a massive following… Or host a podcast with Tim Ferriss… Almost any funnel can work. But what about the rest of us? What if you’re just a damn good coach...
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Successful People REFUSE To Talk About This
Chris Dufey Podcast
Most entrepreneurs claim they're building their business for their family, but their calendar tells another story. In this video, I share how I built a “successful” business on paper. Revenue was climbing, Stripe was pinging, everyone thought I was winning. But behind the scenes, I was overworked, disconnected from my wife and kids, and losing myself in the grind. Until I got a wake-up call I couldn’t ignore. This is the true story of how I simplified everything, leaned on systems, and built a business that no longer runs me—so I could scale without sacrifice. In this video: 00:00...
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PROVEN $1M Playbook (8 Steps)
Chris Dufey Podcast
If you’re a coach or consultant working hard but still stuck, growth not matching effort, and the freedom you started for still feels out of reach, you’re in the right place. I’m not here to sell hype or funnels. I built and sold my own coaching biz. I helped agencies hit $200K/month. I consulted 7 to 9 figure founders. Now I’m here to help you build a business that works without burning you out. In this video: 00:00 Why a million dollar month is possible 00:20 It’s not magic, it’s a system 00:35 Why most coaches stay stuck 01:07 Real results, real numbers 02:18 How the Rainmakers...
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How To Add $318K in 30 Days (Without More Leads)
Chris Dufey Podcast
If you’re still stuck selling, delivering, and scrambling for the next sale, this will hit home. One client added $318,000 in recurring revenue in 30 days. No viral reels. No fancy funnels. No massive team. Just a better system. Most coaches are trapped on the high-ticket hamster wheel. Make a sale, deliver, repeat. It feels like growth, but it’s just a business built on burnout. The moment leads dry up, panic sets in. And the cycle starts all over again. I’ll show you how to break free from that trap and install the same 3-part system we use to scale coaches to $100K–$300K+ months...
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The $1M Model That Lets You Work 3 Days a Week
Chris Dufey Podcast
If you’re a coach or consultant stuck on calls, solving every problem, and still waiting for freedom, this is for you. I’ve built and sold coaching businesses, scaled new ones to $200K months in under 90 days, and helped 7–9 figure founders grow clean, profitable companies that don’t depend on them. This podcast is about building a business that gives you your life back. No "hustle" or productivity hacks, just real systems that work. -------- In this episode: 00:00 Tired of working hard with no freedom? 00:13 Who I am and what we do 00:32 Why I started this channel 00:41 Million-dollar...
info_outlineMost people say they want financial freedom.
Very few ever define what that actually means.
And that’s where everything goes wrong.
This video isn’t about getting rich.
It’s about getting free. For real.
I’m sharing this because I’ve lived both sides.
Sleeping on a couch.
My wife pregnant with our first child.
Halfway across the world in Dubai.
Selling everything I owned with one question looping in my head:
”Can I actually give them the life they deserve?”
I was trapped in time-for-money.
Burnt out.
Chasing cash thinking it would fix how I felt inside.
It didn’t.
What changed everything was understanding this:
True freedom is downstream from financial freedom.
But money alone isn’t the goal.
In this episode, I break down:
• Why most people misunderstand financial freedom
• The difference between external freedom and internal peace
• What “f*ck you money” really means
• Why a financial cushion changes how you choose clients, projects, and life
• The mistake I made that nearly wiped us out financially
• How scarcity destroys joy (Yes, even when you’re “successful”)
• The invisible scorecards that actually define a rich life
• Why most people chase status instead of fulfillment
• A simple, boring wealth-building strategy that actually works
• How to define your version of “enough”
This is honest.
Raw.
Sometimes uncomfortable.
Because financial freedom isn’t about Lamborghinis or renouncing money altogether.
It’s about:
• peace
• choice
• alignment
• integrity
• being able to say no without fear
It’s about building a life you’re proud of before you get there, not postponing happiness until some future number.
If you’re building a business…
If you’re providing for a family…
If you feel that internal pull for more meaning, not just more money…
Don’t just watch this.
Use it.
——
In this video:
00:00 — The real question behind financial freedom
01:00 — Sleeping on a couch, wife pregnant, starting over
02:00 — The time-for-money trap
03:00 — Why chasing money didn’t bring peace
04:05 — The five essential freedoms (and why money comes first)
05:15 — External freedom vs internal freedom
06:40 — Why success without peace isn’t success
07:20 — What “fuck you money” actually means
08:40 — Saying no without fear
09:30 — The danger of scarcity-driven decisions
10:45 — The mistake that nearly wiped us out
12:00 — Financial freedom as the foundation
13:10 — How much money is actually enough?
14:20 — Making money vs building wealth
15:15 — The simple wealth-building flywheel
16:30 — Internal vs external scorecards
18:00 — Status games vs a life you’re proud of
19:30 — Why happiness can’t be delayed
20:45 — Defining your own version of freedom
21:50 — Final thoughts and what to do next
——
If this is our first time meeting, hey 👋🏼 I’m Chris Dufey, founder of The Rainmakers.
We help coaches and creators scale to $1M Profit with tiny teams and only working 2-4hrs a day.
A few years ago, I was sleeping on a couch, scrambling to build a business before my first daughter arrived.
She showed up. I wasn’t ready.
Now, I’ve got four kids, homes in Bali and Australia, and I build 7- and 8-figure businesses that don’t depend on me.
Quick timeline:
18: Became a trainer to get fit
21: Built a PT agency
25: Moved to Dubai, started a business
27: Moved to Bali to figure it out
28: Launched and lost a supplement brand
29: Started coaching fitness pros
31: Founded Coaches Cartel
35: Sold it
36: Consulted 6-9 figure CEOs
38: Started The Rainmakers
This channel is for founders who want simple, scalable businesses that buy back time with proven systems that just work.
Subscribe, drop a comment, and let’s build a business you actually enjoy running.