There’s a funny trend going around right now where someone writes, “When I’m rich I won’t tell anyone —but there will be signs.” And then it cuts to the person dripping in expensive jewelry, or buying loads of eggs,  or having ten  cats.

One of my team members loves to ask a version of this question as a kind of icebreaker: If you were suddenly rich but didn’t tell anyone, what small behavior would give it away? Her answer is always the same—she’d fill her home with elaborate floral arrangements that would be rotated out weekly. As for me? My giveaway would be help.

If I Were Rich, the Only Giveaway Would Be the Help

If I won the lottery tomorrow, I wouldn’t move to a villa or buy a private jet. My house, my job, and my friends would stay exactly the same. But my suburban street would suddenly be jammed with cars belonging to the people I’d hired to help me live my best, most well-supported life.

I’m not talking about one assistant and a housekeeper who stops by on Fridays. I mean help. People to tote, fetch, clean, organize, walk the dog, feed the cat, cook the meals, and fold the laundry. A laundress, a pet wrangler, a personal assistant with a clipboard and comfortable shoes. That’s my fantasy. I wouldn’t change who I am—I’d just have reinforcements. Because really, I love my life. I just don’t love the part that involves mops, dog hair, or grocery runs.

It’s Not Laziness—It’s Clarity

I’m not lazy—quite the opposite, actually. I work all the time, and I love it. But the kind of work I love isn’t domestic. I love to run my business, conceive of designs, manage people, write blogs and attend events. I do not love, nor am I good at, housekeeping! I appreciate a beautifully organized home, but I’m not the one to maintain it.

My greatest strength has always been assembling teams—at work and, if I were rich, at home. Knowing what you’re good at (and what you’re not) isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom. Delegation, in any form, is an act of self-awareness. Knowing when to bring in help is what makes both design and daily life work smoothly.

A College Visit That Changed My View on “Help”

In college, I visited a friend whose family lived in Beverly Hills. Every morning, their housekeeper arrived at eight, tidied every room, washed the laundry, and set out snacks for us. She restocked each space with fresh flowers from the garden and had a simple dinner ready for the evening. By 4:30 p.m., she was gone—home in time for her own life.

It wasn’t extravagant; it was just smart. The family worked full days and came home to calm, order, and dinner on the table. Watching that, I realized that support systems aren’t about wealth—they’re about foresight.

Why Buying Time Might Be the Smartest Investment

In my design work, I see firsthand how household help quietly transforms homes and families. When things run smoothly, people are happier. There’s even research to back it up: studies cited by Time and NPR show that people who spend money to save time—outsourcing chores or errands—report higher life satisfaction. People who use their money to buy back minutes of their day experience greater happiness compared to those spending it on material goods.

It turns out that buying time buys happiness, too. Which makes me wonder why we so often treat help like a luxury instead of a life skill. I explored that same contradiction in A Clean Home Is an Oppressive Home, where I questioned why we equate virtue with doing it all ourselves. Maybe it’s time to let go of the guilt and embrace the joy of a well-supported life.

Delegation Is Growth—at Work and at Home

Michael Dell once said you can’t keep the keys to the Coke machine when you’re running a company with hundreds of people. Eventually, you have to hand them over. The same principle applies to life: when you grow, you must delegate.

Trusting others with the details doesn’t just free your schedule—it frees your mind. In business, that means scaling sustainably. At home, it means creating space for joy. The mess behind the scenes  doesn’t diminish beauty—it supports it. The same goes for our lives: a little behind-the-scenes help keeps everything else running beautifully.

A Bigger Life Needs Support (and Maybe a Driver)

My version of success wouldn’t sparkle with diamonds—it would hum with efficiency. Help in the kitchen, help with the errands, help with life itself. I’d make more messes knowing someone else could clean them up. I’d go to more parties (because, hello, driver). I’d even buy the fancy clothes that need special care.

Life would look the same, just lighter, smoother, and infinitely more joyful. After all, my love language is acts of service. I thrive when surrounded by capable, caring people. And maybe that’s the secret: a bigger, happier life doesn’t mean doing more. It means letting others help carry it.

In the end, a beautiful life isn’t built by doing it all—it’s built by allowing others to help you do it better.