Built Not Born Podcast · 29 September 2023
What Does Success Really Mean? Money, Happiness and Having Choices
Chris and Helen explore how success changes with age, why financial freedom is really about choice, and why profit, relationships and perspective matter more than appearances.
Episode guide
About this episode
Success can look completely different depending on when the question is asked. In this episode, Chris and Helen Butler compare the ambitions they had when they were younger with what matters to them now as business owners, parents and a married couple working together.
Chris reflects on once linking success closely to money, possessions and visible signs of achievement. His view has shifted towards having enough financial security to create choices. That includes the option to step back from work later in life, spend time with family and decide how he wants to use his time rather than feeling trapped by financial pressure.
Helen's definition is rooted more strongly in relationships, family, support and being comfortable enough financially to enjoy life. The conversation looks at why material things can be enjoyable without being the thing that creates lasting happiness, and why having people around you who can offer support matters so much.
They also challenge the way business success is presented publicly. Revenue figures, expensive possessions and carefully staged social media posts can create a strong impression without showing what is happening behind the scenes. For Chris and Helen, a large turnover means little if the business is not profitable or if the life created around it is not one they actually want.
The discussion moves into the everyday choices that can easily be overlooked, from being able to take a child to school to having time for friends, family and experiences. Those smaller freedoms become part of a broader definition of success that is less about comparison and more about building a life that feels sustainable.
The episode also gives an early glimpse of Chris and Helen finding their rhythm as podcasters. After overthinking an earlier recording, they decide to stop chasing perfection and have a more natural conversation. That decision becomes part of the wider theme: success does not always come from making everything look perfect, but from continuing, learning and deciding what matters.
Key takeaways
What you'll learn
- Success is personal and can change significantly as life, family and business priorities evolve.
- Money can create freedom and choices, but Chris and Helen do not see wealth alone as a reliable measure of happiness or success.
- Relationships, family, health and a dependable support network can become more important measures of success over time.
- Social media can create a distorted picture of other people's lives and make success look more polished than reality.
- Turnover is not the same as a healthy business. Profitability and what the business actually provides for its owners matter more than headline revenue.
- Perfectionism can become a barrier to publishing, creating or moving forward, which is why Chris and Helen chose a more relaxed approach to the podcast.
Questions from this episode
Frequently asked questions
What does success mean to Chris Butler in this episode?
Chris describes success less in terms of visible wealth and more in terms of having enough financial security to create choices. He wants the option to decide how much he works, how he spends his time and whether he can step back later in life.
How does Helen Butler define success?
Helen talks about success as a combination of family, supportive relationships, happiness in everyday life and being financially comfortable enough to do the things that matter to her.
Do Chris and Helen think money makes people happy?
They take a nuanced view. Money can remove some pressures and create choices, but they do not believe that having more money automatically creates happiness or a successful life.
Why do they say turnover is not a good measure of business success on its own?
They point out that a business can have a high turnover without being highly profitable. Their discussion focuses on profit, financial health and what the business actually gives its owners rather than headline revenue alone.
What do they say about social media and success?
Chris and Helen discuss how social media often shows a staged snapshot of someone's life. They argue that this can distort perceptions of success because the viewer rarely sees the full reality behind the post.