9 Steps for Making More Money in 2026, According to Codie Sanchez
Written by
Jamie Stone
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Jenna Klaverweiden
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Entrepreneur and investor Codie Sanchez, founder of Contrarian Thinking, has built a media empire teaching people how to achieve financial freedom through unconventional paths.
In a recent YouTube video, Sanchez outlined nine actionable steps to transform your financial life in just 90 days. The former Wall Street executive, who held senior roles at Goldman Sachs and State Street before building her own portfolio of businesses, shared strategies that go beyond typical financial advice.
1. Stay Obsessed
Success requires obsession, not balance. Sanchez pointed to entrepreneurs like Todd Graves, who flew to Alaska to work on dangerous fishing boats just to fund Raising Cane’s.
When you’re obsessed with your work, it doesn’t feel like work; it’s a privilege and a blast.
2. Clean Your Physical Space
Sanchez spoke to something deceptively simple: clean your closet. Physical clutter creates mental clutter, she argued, and cluttered people don’t make money.
This isn’t just organizational advice; it’s backed by science. Sanchez discussed research on “enclothed cognition,” which showed that clothing impacts psychological processes, according to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. Participants wearing lab coats described as doctor’s coats showed increased attention compared with those wearing the same coats described as painter’s coats.
Sanchez recommended dressing for the role you want, not the one you have.
3. Set One Clear Financial Goal
Rather than spreading yourself thin, Sanchez advocated focusing on a single monetary objective. Whether it’s selling a certain number of designs on Etsy or launching a service, put a dollar sign on it and commit to hitting that target within 90 days.
This creates what she called “psychological compounding.” Each small win builds momentum and reinforces the identity of someone who sets goals and achieves them. In fact, according to SmartAsset, setting financial goals can give one a higher sense of financial purpose and provide resilience in the face of challenges.
4. Write Your Own Story
Instead of vision boards filled with other people’s images, Sanchez recommended writing your own narrative. Create a three-act story about who you want to become, complete with challenges and opportunities.
This forces you to think deeply about your future rather than passively consuming aspirational content. Sanchez credited this practice with helping her find her husband, start businesses and raise millions in capital.
5. Build Identity and Leverage
The key to scaling wealth, according to Sanchez, is building leverage through audience, team and technology.
Modern tools like artificial intelligence (AI) make it easier than ever to build systems that work for you rather than trading time for money. According to Forbes, AI presents a “massive opportunity to build wealth,” and those who know how to use and leverage it “will build wealth faster than those who wait.”
6. Create a Not-To-Do List
According to Sanchez, success isn’t about adding more. Instead, it’s about doing less but better. She gave the example of not wearing high heels anymore because she wanted to walk more.
Even cutting out just one thing can help you reach your goals or build wealth.
7. Eliminate Distractions
Sanchez also suggested eliminating distractions and offered up some simple hacks, like switching phones to grayscale to reduce their addictive appeal and setting strict time limits.
Research shows people struggle with projection bias, or the tendency to overestimate how our current state reflects future feelings, according to The Quarterly Journal of Economics. This can lead to poor decisions about everything from grocery shopping to career moves.
8. Outwork Your Competition
While many people are lazy, waking up just one hour earlier than you currently do can put you ahead of most peers.
Sanchez referenced Mel Robbins’ “hot 15” rule: Fight for the first 15 minutes of your day by keeping your phone in another room and avoiding social media immediately upon waking.
9. Move in Silence
Don’t broadcast your goals to friends and family. Sanchez warned that other people’s jealousies and doubts can derail your momentum.
Keep your plans private until you’ve achieved them, and then let your results speak for themselves.
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