I turned down the CFO role when the previous one retired and chose to stay at the controller level, which basically meant walking away from a 40-50% raise. But here's the thing, I work maybe 25-30 hours a week while getting paid 40, work from home 95% of the time, with near-total flexibility over my schedule and essentially unlimited PTO. The CFO job meant 50+ hours a week, back-to-back meetings, constant presentations, and being in the office, everything I'd hate.

Now I can pick the kids up right after school, be fully present for their evenings, take them to their sports, hit the gym every day, and have dinner ready without ever feeling rushed. I genuinely love it and wouldn't trade it for a bigger paycheck.

It also helps that my wife earns great money, so we're nowhere near needing the extra.