Here's exactly how much I made as a JP Morgan trader and Buzzfeed account executive. I have no regrets leaving behind my $656K job to become my own boss.

• Vivian Tu is a former trader at JP Morgan who also worked in sales and marketing at Buzzfeed.
• She quit her cushy $656K job to start her own company and teach people about financial literacy.
• Tu says leaving Wall Street was one of the best decisions she's ever made.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Vivian Tu, a content creator and author of the upcoming book "Rich AF: The Winning Money Mindset That Will Change Your Life." Insider has verified her income with documentation. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I wanted to go on to Wall Street because that's what everybody else was doing.