Investing Made Simple: 5 Empowering Truths for Women Ready To Own Their Financial Future (& How To Get Started!)
- milanwomennetwork
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Does the idea of investing intimidate you - but you’re curious about it? Wealth coach Indre can totally relate with her first experience as an investor. What started off as a tentative €50 investment, became an empowering wealth-building habit. Drawing on her experience in the world of finance, she’s passionate about helping women take charge of their financial future through making their money work for them. Because it’s easier than you think, and it’s certainly not only a man’s world! Indre shares with us 5 empowering truths she swears by that helped her (and her clients) start building long-term wealth confidently - and have fun doing it.
Written by: Indre Butkeviciute (women’s wealth coach, founder of Lily Advisory)
You Don’t Need to Be an Expert to Start Investing - You Just Need to Start
When I made my very first investment, I was terrified. My hands were literally shaking.
I was about to put a few hundred euros into something I didn’t fully understand yet.
And all the voices in my head were screaming: "What if you lose it all?", "Who do you think you are?", "Better to just save and play it safe."
Sound familiar?
The world of investing can feel like a fortress - built by and for people who "know what they're doing."
People with finance degrees. People with insider knowledge. People with thousands to throw around.
But let me tell you: that’s a lie.
You don’t need to be an expert to build wealth.
You just need to be willing to start messy.
And here, I want to show you exactly how you can.
Why Most Women Wait Too Long Before Starting to Invest
From a young age, most women are taught to be responsible with money - to budget, to save, to be careful.
Meanwhile, men are taught to grow it - to invest, to take calculated risks, to play offence instead of defence.
It’s no wonder so many smart, driven women delay investing until “later”... or never start at all.
But here's the raw truth: Saving alone will never build true financial freedom.
Inflation will eat away at your savings year after year, while investing - even small amounts - lets your money compound and grow.
If you’re serious about financial independence, about creating passive income, about living life on your own terms - investing is non-negotiable.
photo from Indre's personal archive
You Don’t Need a Lot of Money to Start Investing
When I started, I didn't have thousands sitting around either. I started small - €50, €100, €200 at a time.
It wasn't glamorous.
It didn't feel like “real investing” at first.
But here’s the thing: Small, consistent action beats big, sporadic moves every time.
When you start early, time becomes your greatest ally. Thanks to the magic of compound interest, that small investment has time to grow exponentially.
Waiting until you "have more" only delays your growth.
To help understand why I’m convinced you too can become an investor (no matter the scale), and why it matters, here are 5 thoughts I truly believe in.
Truth #1: Start where you are. Small amounts invested wisely add up faster than you think.
You don’t have to know everything - you learn by doing.
One of the biggest myths that keeps people stuck is thinking they need to master the stock market before they start.
If that were true, 90% of professional investors wouldn’t still be making mistakes.
When I was still working in one of the world's biggest investment banks, I saw it firsthand.
Even the so-called "experts" got it wrong more often than you'd believe.
The difference?
They kept going.
They adjusted.
They diversified.
They didn’t freeze because of fear.
You learn investing the same way you learn anything else: You start. You experiment. And you learn from what works (and what doesn't).
No amount of theory can replace real-world experience.
Truth #2: Perfectionism kills momentum. Start imperfectly.
Mistakes will happen - and that’s okay.
Bad news: You will make some bad investments.
Good news: You don’t need to be perfect to succeed.
One of my big mistakes?
A few years ago, I invested in Metro Bank shares. It sounded like an incredibly innovative bank that could become a major leader. It felt exciting, like I was getting in early on the next big thing.
Fast forward a couple of years... and my investment tanked by 90%.
Yes, 90%!
Was it painful? Absolutely.
Did it end my investing journey? Not even close.
Because I was diversified. I wasn’t betting everything on one idea.
The lesson?
One bad investment doesn’t define you. How you diversify, how you learn, and how you keep going—that’s what matters.
photo from Indre's personal archive
Truth #3: Diversify your investments, and trust that no single mistake defines your future.
Investing isn’t about being lucky. It’s about being intentional.
One major shift that changed everything for me was this: Stop thinking of investing as gambling.
It’s not.
Gambling is luck. Investing is strategy.
The most successful investors focus on a few key principles:
Consistency: Invest regularly, no matter what’s happening in the market.
Diversification: Spread your money across different sectors (like tech, healthcare, energy) and assets (stocks, bonds, real estate).
Long-Term Focus: Ignore the daily noise. Zoom out and think in years, not months.
You don’t need to “beat the market.”
You need to build a strong, resilient portfolio that grows steadily over time.
Truth #4: Think like a long-term builder, not a short-term gambler.
The confidence comes after you start.
At first, investing €500 felt terrifying. It felt like every euro was at risk.
But the more I invested, the easier it got.
€500 felt scary at first.
Now?
Moving €30,000 around feels like just another Tuesday.
Because confidence is a byproduct of action—not the other way around.
The only way to become someone who is "good with money" is to act like someone who is good with money.
Even if it feels clumsy at first. Even if your voice shakes. Even if you don't have all the answers yet.
Truth #5: Start as a beginner. Grow into an expert.
And you can start right now, with this simple first step.
This week, block one hour on your calendar. (Not someday. This week.)
Use that hour to:
Review your monthly income and expenses.
Calculate what small amount you can invest monthly - no amount is too small.
Open an investing account with a beginner-friendly platform like Freedom24.
Choose one simple, diversified ETF to start with - like an S&P 500 ETF, which tracks the 500 largest companies in the U.S. and is often used as a strong foundation for long-term portfolios.
It’s not about building a perfect portfolio overnight.
It’s about starting the habit that will change your future.
photo from Indre's personal archive
If You’re Ready for More…
If this fired you up - and you want someone to walk you through the "how" without drowning you in jargon or fear - I’ve created a free Investing Masterclass perfect for beginners who want real results, not just inspiration.
Inside, we’ll cover:
How to start investing with confidence
The platforms and strategies I recommend for beginners
How to set up your first portfolio for long-term success
And the exact mindset shifts that made all the difference for me.
No pressure. No hype. Just powerful, actionable knowledge.
I’d love to see you in my free Investing Masterclass and help you take your first steps to being confident, empowered and courageous with your financial future.
Because building wealth isn’t reserved for the lucky or the elite. It’s for the women who are bold enough to begin.
Proofread & Edited By: Ché Maria Milani
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