3 Financial Lessons From Ritual Founder Katerina Schneider

Building a successful business takes more than a great idea. It takes financial knowledge, calculated risks, and the confidence to bed on yourself, even when others won't.

When Ritual founder Katerina Schneider arrived in the United States with her family, they had just $50 and a suitcase. Years later, she would build a career on Wall Street, become a venture capitalist, and ultimately launch Ritual, a wellness company that challenged an established industry.

In a recent episode of Pretty Money, Katerina opened up about the financial decisions, professional setbacks, and personal convictions that shaped her journey from immigrant beginnings to entrepreneur.

Along the way, she learned some valuable lessons about money, entrepreneurship, and what financial success really means.

Here are 3 lessons from her journey that every person can apply, whether you are launching a company, advancing your career, or simply taking greater control of your financial future.

1. Financial Literacy Isn't Optional. It's a Competitive Advantage.

Before founding Ritual, Katerina worked at Lehman Brothers, where she learned to analyze financial statements, assess business performance, and evaluate companies.

Investment banking may not have been her ultimate calling, but the financial foundation she built there would prove invaluable when she became an entrepreneur.

And here's the thing: you don't need to work on Wall Street to benefit from financial literacy. Understanding where your money comes from, where it goes, and how to make it work for you can help you make more informed decisions.

2. Take Risks. Just Don't Risk Everything.

Working in finance during the 2008 financial crisis gave Katerina a front-row seat to what happens when financial risk gets out of control.

She watched successful professionals lose their jobs and face serious financial challenges, even after years of earning significant incomes.

"I learned to never over-leverage myself when it came to money."

It's a reminder that making more money doesn't automatically mean having greater financial security.

Whether you're starting a business, buying a home, or making an investment, it's important to understand how much risk you can realistically afford.

3. Believe in Your Vision: Know How to Finance It.

When Katerina decided to launch Ritual, she was pregnant with her first child and walked away from a successful career in venture capital.

Not everyone believed in her vision. Some investors dismissed women's health as a niche market. and One even told her she couldn't build a business and a family at the same time. But Katerina understood the opportunity, raised capital, and built a business around a problem she wanted to solve. Ritual is a testament that our own experiences can shift the market in a way where we end up filling a void that was otherwise unrecognized.

Her experience is a great reminder that believing in your idea matters, but knowing how to fund it matters just as much.

Katerina's story reminds us that financial knowledge and confidence can open doors, even when others don't believe those doors should be open.

It's a belief that has been part of Siebert's story from the beginning. In 1967, Muriel "Mickie" Siebert became the first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, breaking barriers in an industry historically dominated by men.

Nearly 60 years later, women like Katerina continue to challenge expectations, build businesses, and create new opportunities. At Siebert, we believe financial knowledge should be accessible to everyone. That's one of the reasons we are proud to support Pretty Money, a podcast dedicated to candid conversations about wealth, entrepreneurship, ambition, and the financial decisions that shape our lives.

Want to hear more from Katerina? Watch her full conversation with Ariela Weston on Pretty Money, where she shares more about entrepreneurship, leadership, family, and the financial decisions behind building Ritual.

Watch the Full Episode on YouTube

Learn more from Pretty Money here

Pretty Money is a Gebbia Media production powered by Siebert Financial.