Almost as soon as she arrived on the mainland to pursue her goals in higher education, Nichole Knight knew that she would not be staying. “I realized very early on that that lifestyle really wasn’t for me, and I knew that I wanted to come back to the place that raised me,” she said. Remaining true to her desire, the accounting and taxation expert did just that, and is now on the threshold of a new transformational chapter. 

She spoke about her journey during the most recent Live With Laura show, with host Laura Forbes. “I ended up spending about 11 years in the States before I had an incredible opportunity to move back to the islands,” Ms. Knight said. She observed that one of the requirements for beneficiaries of the territory's Economic Development Authority is to “bring what they call the brain drain back to the Virgin Islands.” Armed with a Masters of Taxation from American University and her CPA license, she was one of those provided with a pathway back home. Ms. Knight was recruited by an EDC company to work in finance, which she did quite successfully until being diagnosed with burnout in 2022. 

The diagnosis for Ms. Knight came after the dawning realization that her body was no longer functioning as it should. “I wasn't sleeping well. I realized that I was having a lot of digestive issues, and I realized that I was anxious, and I'd never really experienced any of those things before,” she disclosed. She was recommended a therapist, and in their first session, was diagnosed with “high functioning burnout.” 

“It was really during that time that I realized that I needed to make a change,” she said. 

Even then, she tried to push through. Despite her doctor's recommendation that she take a sabbatical, Ms. Knight said that “it probably took about four months” for her to actually go on leave, "because I was actually afraid to ask for that time off….Like so many of us, we are carrying so many things, and we can't see a window through to where we'd be able to just take a moment to invest in ourselves,” she shared. 

Once she had finally extricated herself from the rhythms of work, Ms. Knight found herself in Bali. She spent months undergoing treatments from various healers, and eventually felt herself return to good health. When she returned to the Virgin Islands, she submitted her resignation. Although she loved her job and the company she worked for, “I just realized that I couldn't go on being in that situation any longer,” Ms. Knight admitted. For the first year after quitting, she rested. “I slept like I had never slept before,” she said. During her waking moments, “I spent a lot of time catching up with family and friends…from there, I was able to settle into what I'm now calling my purpose and my passion work.” That work, Ms. Knight said, is helping to support women who need to do what she did – to take a sabbatical, or to change their surroundings. She helps “get their money and their mind right in order to do so,” she disclosed.

Ms. Knight laid out the transformation roadmap. First, “obviously you want to have a security blanket in the form of finances that can support you to make such a big decision,” she notes. Once the financial aspect is squared away, “the other thing is getting your mindset clear about what it is that you want to do.” Both money and mindset must align, Ms. Knight cautioned. People need to figure out if what they are doing with their finances is in keeping with what they say they want out of life. “What I experienced working with my clients is that it's not that they don't have the money, it's just that they're not using it for the thing that they see they want to use it for,” she noted. 

She insisted, however, that for her at least, none of the transformative energy could be harnessed or utilized until her body and mind were properly rested. “That rest really brought a lot of clarity to me with regards to what it is that I wanted to do,” Ms. Knight said. “Once I had that clarity, then I was able to put in place a plan to work towards what it is I said that I wanted to do.” She urged people struggling to find their way in life to grant themselves the gift of rest, so that their internal guiding voice can be heard.

Ms. Knight disclosed that her experience in Bali was so transformative for her that she has decided to officially move to the country before the year is out. “Bali is really the place that saved my life,” she noted. She argued that creating a life of freedom was more achievable than some may think. 

A financial myth that must be dispelled, according to Ms. Knight, is the thought that “you need to be making six figures, or you need to be a millionaire in order to create the freedom life that you want.” On the contrary, “if you’re a good steward of the money that you are earning, and you are aligning it to the things that you want and not being led astray with all the temptations, you can really make your financial goals come true,” Ms. Knight insisted.

Ms. Knight also invited those interested in improving their financial habits to participate in the Money Mindset Virtual Workshop on December 17, 2025. The event, she said, is designed to help attendees “unpack your money story, reset the narrative, and kick-off 2026 with intention, strategy, and a bank account that feels like freedom.” According to Ms. Knight, people can visit www.freedomisthenewrich.com and use discount code LWL30 at checkout, or follow her on Instagram at @iamnicholeknight for additional information on money and lifestyle guidance.