Redefining Success and Personal Profitability

Disclaimer: Nothing in the content materials shall be considered legal, financial, or actuarial advice.

At the Wayfinders Summit, we gather to explore fresh perspectives on leadership, purpose, and how we show up in both our personal and professional lives. And every so often, a speaker steps forward who doesn’t just speak, they shift the room. Rebecca Troch was that voice.

A seasoned finance expert, founder, and mother of three, Rebecca took to the stage not just to share her business acumen, but to share her soul. Her session, Creating Personal Profitability, wasn’t just about numbers, it was about redefining what success truly means, especially for women determined to write their own rules.

From Corporate Climb to Conscious Choice

When I introduced Rebecca, I mentioned her impressive resume, namely leading controlling functions at global retail giants like H&M, New Yorker, and Decathlon. She built a high-flying career that took her from Düsseldorf to London, often working long hours while raising three daughters.

From the outside, it looked like success. But as she told us, “on the inside, I was really feeling empty.”

What struck me most was how honestly Rebecca spoke about her pivot. After 20 years in corporate, despite the prestige and security, she felt herself slowly disappearing. She wasn’t at home. Her marriage was unraveling. She was exhausted. And in a bold act of self-trust, she stepped away, with no business plan, no roadmap, just a gut feeling that life had to be more than survival.

“If I stayed in the hamster wheel, I might not only lose my energy, I might lose myself.”

Counting the Apples: The Birth of a Purpose-Driven Business

That leap into the unknown eventually led Rebecca to create her company, Counting the Apples, a boutique finance consultancy that empowers entrepreneurs, particularly women, to make data-driven, confident financial decisions.

She shared how, at the time, there was no playbook in Germany for what she was trying to do. The concept of a fractional CFO was still new in Europe. And as a woman in finance, she had to work twice as hard to build trust. It took her over a year to land her first client.

But she stayed with it, because she knew this was bigger than her. “I wanted to prove that finance doesn’t have to be fear-driven. It can be based on clarity, on strategy, and on conscious choice,” she told the summit audience.

Her words resonated deeply. Because so often, especially for women, money becomes tangled with permission, guilt, or uncertainty. Rebecca made it clear, personal profitability isn’t about being “ready.” It’s about deciding you’re worthy.

The Permission Problem

One of Rebecca’s most powerful insights was this:

“For us women, it’s not an Excel problem, it’s a permission problem.”

That landed hard in the room. She described how, in her early days as a single mother trying to rebuild her life, she felt consumed by guilt. Guilt for not being at home enough. Guilt for overworking. Guilt for trying to hold a marriage together. That guilt drove her to make decisions that didn’t serve her or her daughters.

And yet, out of that pain came purpose. “Is my life worth it,” she asked herself, “if I’m always losing somewhere?”

That moment became her turning point. Now, as a founder, she’s building not only a business, but a new model. One where women don’t have to choose between family and ambition, between success and connection, between growth and security. And one where you’re not expected to burn out to be seen as committed.

What Personal Profitability Really Means

She broke it down into three powerful shifts:

1. Cash instead of chaos – You need to know what comes in, what goes out, and, most importantly, what stays. You plan based on facts, not hope. And you create honest transparency for yourself.

   
   

2. Structure instead of stretch – Separate your personal and business finances. Pay yourself a salary. Build reserves and investments. In her words, “Think and act like a CEO, not like a leftover.”

   
   

3. Leadership instead of limitation – Run your life and your business in alignment with your goals, your mission, and values.

You’re Allowed to Be Rich On Your Own Terms

One of Rebecca’s most liberating messages was this: “You’re allowed to be rich.”

But she wasn’t just talking about financial wealth. She was talking about richness in time, in clarity, in security, and in self-determination. “For me,” she said, “personal profitability wasn’t a goal, it was a decision.”

A decision to take herself seriously. To model a different way of living and leading for her daughters. To break generational patterns that taught women to outsource their financial power. Rebecca reminded us that leadership isn’t just a title. We lead as mothers, as daughters, as mentors, as founders, and as friends. We lead when we choose to stand in clarity instead of confusion. We lead when we decide to invest in ourselves. And we lead when we stop waiting for permission to want more.

A Call to Conscious Leadership

Rebecca didn’t tell the audience to follow her path, she told us to carve our own.

“Find your own way on how you want to lead, that’s your conscious decision.”

Her session reminded us that success doesn’t have to look like the corporate ladder or the constant hustle. Success can be freedom, balance, integrity, and yes, profitability. Because the truth is, it’s not selfish to want to thrive. It’s strategic.

Rebecca’s story is one of courage, clarity, and conscious leadership. And as we continue to shape the future of inclusive innovation, her message is one we all need to hear:

You don’t need anyone’s permission to lead the life and business you truly want.

Thank you, Rebecca, for showing us what it looks like to lead with both heart and numbers.

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References:

• Wayfinders Summit 2025, Live Presentation by Rebecca Troch

• Corporate career highlights: H&M, New Yorker, Decathlon (Finance & Controlling)

• Counting the Apples – Boutique Finance Consultancy (Founder: Rebecca Troch)

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