Before making a push to become the highest-paid woman on television, "Grey's Anatomy" star Ellen Pompeo reached out to the show's creator, Shonda Rhimes. 

Though Rhimes had no power over Pompeo's paycheck, the actress wanted to get her blessing and give Rhimes a heads up before making headlines with her salary demands. 

In a recent appearance on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, Pompeo said that not only did Rhimes give her the green light, she also encouraged her to ask for what she was worth. 

"I said to her: 'I'm going to go in and ask for this much. Are you cool with that?'" she said. "[Rhimes] was like, 'Yeah, no one's going to give it to you. You have to ask for it.'"

With Rhimes' blessing, Pompeo landed a $20 million a year contract in 2017. Though she wanted to check in with Rhimes before entering negotiations, Pompeo had no qualms about telling the network what she felt she was worth. 

"Women should always push the envelope," she said. "All anyone can say is no."

'Financial freedom is true independence'

For Pompeo, securing a high salary was not only about feeling respected and appreciated by the network, but also about power.

"I became aware at a really early age that people with money had power," she said. "I didn't have any power as a young woman. And I didn't like the way that felt." 

Having enough money to do — and not do — whatever she wanted, was the "freedom" that Pompeo was looking for. 

"To be financially independent, to me, is what makes me the happiest and makes me feel the most free," she said. "I don't have to do anything I don't want to do."

"As a woman I'm sure you know how freeing it feels to have financial independence," she continued. "You don't have to be with any man you don't want to be with. For women, financial freedom is true independence." 

And like Rhimes encouraging her to push for her $20 million salary, Pompeo said she wants to use her power to help "advocate for other women on your platform, in your job, in your workplace."

"How can I take that power and do good with it?" she said. "How can I amplify someone else? How can I help someone else? How can I lift up someone else that doesn't sit i the position of privilege that I sit in?"

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