A financial expert with 15 years of experience shares the one piece of money advice she wishes everyone knew

Gleb Leonov/Strelka Institute/Flickr

Success looks different for everyone. For some, success and wealth go hand in hand; for others, achieving success has little to do with money.

Either way, your circumstances — however unfortunate — shouldn't have the power to hold you back, Farnoosh Torabi, a financial expert, author, and host of the "So Money" podcast, told Business Insider during a FB Live interview.

"The best piece of financial advice that I wish everyone knew ... is that it's really all up to you," she said.

"I find [that] the people who are most successful in this life — who have the most 'richness' — didn't really come from a lot of wealth, they may have come from poverty and they know that at the end of the day, they have only themselves to count on," Torabi said, adding that relying on yourself can be "empowering."

A financial expert for more than 15 years, Torabi says she occasionally has to take a step back to remember that the financial tools she advises people to take advantage of are "things that we sometimes take for granted."

When she tries to temper concerns of minimum-wage earners, single parents, or those riddled with debt who may not have access to 401(k)s or IRAs, she'll remind them that we, ourselves, are sometimes "our biggest resources" for achieving success.

"You actually do have the ability to go out there and find your fortune, and work hard, and find resources for yourself and tap into them, and create your own wealth," Torabi said.

She added that for "people who really believe and embrace" that they're capable of creating their own "richness" — in money, relationships, and achievements — are the most successful.

"It's your choice to believe that or not, but I firmly believe it's true," she said.

Watch more from Business Insider's Facebook LIVE with Farnoosh Torabi:

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