Manhattan has become home of the neo-speakeasy. These are restaurants and clubs with unmarked entrances.  For instance PDT. (“Please Don’t Tell”) in the East Village  is hidden behind an old wooden phone booth inside the Crif Dogs eatery on St. Marks Place. To enter PDT, you pick up the telephone and a hostess opens the back wall of the booth. Speakeasies thrive for obvious reasons. They are subtly exclusive.  Neo-speakeasies give patrons the feeling of being “in the know.”  However, if you’re an artist, solopreneur or service professional, being an well kept secret is bad for your bottom line.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to service a select clientele.  However your preferred customers need to know that you exist and what you offer. Being invisible to potential customers means that you can’t sell them your work, product or service.  Lack of sales translates into financial struggle. The neo-speakeasies may not be known to the masses but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t marketing.  These hidden bars tout their superior mixologists and  have  cultivated a following through word of mouth campaigns that include using Twitter and Facebook. These bars also court reviewers for print and online publications that their desired customers read.

In a few weeks I will be releasing my new FREE E-Book, Get Published and Get (Well) Paid! In it I discuss how solopreneurs and service professionals can become industry leaders by writing a book. It’s can be the first step in your move from talented ”starving artist” to well-paid creative entrepreneur. 

A book immediately brands a solorprenur or service professional  as an expert in his or her field.  A book sets you apart from the crowd because it  allows you to showcase your work, product or service. A book helps you to get media attention that attracts potential clients.  It’s a also relatively inexpensive way for potential customers to sample your work.  People are also willing to pay an author higher fees because you’re considered more credible than other people in your industry.   

Marketing is nothing more than communication between you and your ideal clients–the people whom you’d love to serve.  Your book could a great vehicles to start the conversation. 

To be the first to get a copy of Get Published and Get (Well) Paid! make sure to sign-up for my mailing list at the top of my homepage or follow me on Twitter

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Photo Credit: Noan Kalina

Tribe….it’s one of those words that’s been bantered around in marketing circles for the last several years.  Marketing guru Seth Godin  popularized the term and defines  a tribe as: 

” a group of people, connected to one another,  connected to a leader and connected to an idea. . . . A group  needs only two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to  communicate. . . . Tribes need leadership. Sometimes one person  leads, sometimes more. . . . You can’t have a tribe without  a leader–and you can’t be a leader without a tribe.”

Tribalism is not new. Men (and women) have formed tribes for millenia for safety, food, socializing and survival. The “tribe” instinct drives us to join cliques, clubs, sororities, fraternities,gangs, crews and teams.

So what does this have to do with you if you’re a creative entrepreneur?  Damn near everything.  It doesn’t matter whether your work centers on writing, art, software development, healing, performing music, personalized services, activism, plumbing, graphic design or eco-consciousness.  Tribes will help you develop your entrepreneurial mindset.

The more that you know about the people who you want to lead/serve in terms of who they are, what they want and what fear, the easier it will be for you to effectively promote your work, product or service in a way that feels authentic, not aggressive or sleazy. 

The success of your business is NOT in trying to sell your work, products or services to any and all people.  It’s in finding, gathering  and communicating to the “tribe,” who already desires what you create and sell.

Typically, a creative entrepreneur is not just selling her work, product or service. The creative entrepreneur is also selling how her life, opinions and perspectives informed the creation of the work, product or service.  She is identifying herself as part of a particular tribe.  If you are willing to be transparent about your insights, and  your motivations for your creative work—you will be able to be a leader of your tribe. The advantage of being a leader is that you stand out in the marketplace.

1) What are the topics and issues that your tribe cares about?  The point here is to understand the range of issues that resonate with your tribe, not just the one that YOU deal with in your work.  (This approach also helps you to think about logical strategic partners that help your tribe and your business).

2) Which type of media is your tribe consuming? Where do they get their information? Which books, magazines, newspapers, professional journals, films and television programs?

3) Where do your tribe members hang out?  Which conferences, seminars, retail stores, online forums or blogs are you likely to find your tribe members?

4) What can you do to make it easy for your tribe members to follow you? A few thoughts: write a book or Ebook , create a blog, send out a newsletter, get on Twitter or Facebook. 

5) What can you do to make it easy for your tribe members to connect with each other?  A few thoughts:  create live events (Meet-ups, Tweet-ups or a monthly gathering at the local library), create a forum on your website, allow comments on your blog posts.

The importance of Tribes to the success of your creative business is summed up in this passage from Lao-Tzu’s Tao Te Ching:

“Learn from the people
Plan with the people
Begin with what they have
Build on what they know
Of the best leaders
When the task is accomplished
The people will remark
We have done it ourselves. ”

So Here’s Some Next Steps:

• First, feel free to leave comment below about what you learned from the blog post that can help your business.
• Next, if this post gave you an “Aha! moment”, please share it via the retweet button below (or via your social media of choice).
• Finally, if you’re getting interested some mentoring on how to improve your creative business  (and/or you’re curious to learn more), SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL LIST near the top of this page so you can get advance notification about programs AND also early bird saving.

In the last few posts I have been stressing the importance of creating a comfortable living from your “right livelihood.” I  have talked about How to Become a Well-Paid Writer, Artist or Other Type of Creative Worker and I provided you with 10 Ways to Make Money & Increase Sales By Writing a Book. Today I’m going to  discuss how to attract more and higher paying clients for your work, product or service.

One of the best ways to boost your income and attract more customers is to become known as an expert in your field.  Experts command higher fees for their work, product or service because they are perceived as being worth the additional cost.  Experts are routinely asked to give keynote addresses or to facilitate workshops at conferences and events sponsored by universities, corporations, professional organizations and government entities.  Experts can become well-paid consultants to corporations and high-end entrepreneurs.  Experts are routinely sought out by the media for interviews and to weigh in on issues related to their topic.

I found this out totally by accident in 2004 with my debut book, Stand & Deliver: Political Activism, Leadership and Hip Hop Culture.  I had been writing well-received commentaries for nearly 10 years years. However soon after the publication of my book, producers and journalists  from major media outlets started calling me.  They wanted me to talk about current event topics that were even remotely related to my book’s subject matter.  I also was able to immediately and substantially increase my speaking fees, just because I was a published author.

I’m not going to argue that it’s a fair or accurate way to judge the credibility of a professional. What I will say is that is basically how the game is played.   In a crowded marketplace, a book  gives you a way to differentiate yourself from people who do similar work.  A book is necessary tool for your financial survival. It’s similar to  mandate for tenure-track professors: “Publish or perish.”  

 •more intelligent than the general population

1. Increasing Your Main Business. Writing a book will establish you as an expert in your field.  As an expert, you can charge higher fees for your work, product or services. In many instances having a book can more than double your current rate.  Additionally, a book is an inexpensive way to build a relationship with potential customers that can generate greater, long-term revenue.  

2. Public Speaking. There is a good deal of money to be made in public speaking. Colleges, conferences, corporations, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and many other kinds of groups are always looking for experts to address their audiences. Being an author provides you with credibility which leads to the more lucrative speaking engagements.  At well known speaker, you could earn upwards of $5000-7000 per appearance. I have personally made $5,000 for an hour speaking engagement.

3. Workshops.  Similar to public speaking groups are always looking for experts to lead workshops.  Again, authors are preferred because there is a belief that you’re extremely knowledgeable about your topic.  Furthermore being an author provides you with the professional cache to promote and conduct your own workshops. Over the years I have participated in numerous workshops and break-out sessions at conferences. 

4. Continuing Education . Most colleges and universities schools offer Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to students – professionals such as lawyers, accountants, nurses, lawyers, etc – for attending workshops and trainings. If you’ve written a book, you can be certified to provide CEUs, increasing your pool of clients. You can also get a position as an adjunct (part-time) professor as a means to attract more customers to your main business. You can only use your book as the basis for your course.

5. Consulting.  A book is a tangible product that can attract the attention of large corporations and high-end entrepreneurs. You can also give your book to  your clients as a bonus to your  in-person consultation. In short, a book  allows you to instantly increase your fees.

6. Coaching. Books are a fairly inexpensive way for someone to sample your theories and methodology.  Readers frequently then want to work directly with you to implement the strategies contained in your book.

7. Public Relations. Your book is your ticket onto television, radio talk shows, podcasts, videocasts, and blogs. The media exposure that you receive from your book   allows you to reach a wider audiences, which results in more  business.

8. Non-Profit Organizations.You donate or sell your books in bulk (at a discount)  to non-profit organizations for use in their fundraising campaigns. The group places your book in gift bags or sells them to raise funds. You are not only doing good, but your book is bound to find its way into the hands of high income donors and philanthrophists.

9. Repurpose Your Book.You can take your book and use all of it or excerpts in different formats.  A few of the ways that you can repurpose your book include: producing an audiobook; creating an e-course; use chapters as blog posts; creating podcasts; or developing a homestudy program. Don’t worry about repeating your message because different people get their information in different places.

10.  Guest Writing.  Some authors invite other experts in the same or related fields to write guest chapters for their books.  The main author then allows the guest authors to include information about their work, products or services. In this cooperative arrangement, you are introduced to the main author’s  audience and  may attracting some of new clients for your business. 

You may also be able to use your expert status to write an article or column for an online or print publication (including prestiguous professional journals). Your article or column also exposes your work, product or service to a broader audience.  I have been invited to write for numerous anthologies and have written several columns throughout my career.  I have also written material for various for-profit and not-for-profit organizations.

BTW…. If you found this information helpful, please leave a comment below. Thanks! 

ALSO OF INTEREST

Audio Blog: “How To Write a Non-Fiction Book Proposal that Sells (Even If You Self-Publish)

Audio Blog: How to Become a Well-Paid Writer, Artist or Other Type of Creative Worker

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Photo Credit: WonderMike

One of the biggest challenges of owning a business that creates one-of-a kind work or provides personalized services is that your income is directly dependent on the number of customers that you serve.  In  many instances you’d literally have to work around the clock to make a decent living. Rather than burn out, why not expand the ways that you can generate revenue.

There are three things that creative entrepreneurs should consider to increase their incomes, while reducing their customer load.

1. Consider Hiring Understudies:
In many upscale hair salons, the owner only personally services a handful of clients, who are willing to pay a premium price.  In this model the majority of clients are delegated to understudies—other stylists and colorists. 

The main benefits of this arrangement are: 1) the owner can still directly engage in his or her craft; and 2) there is more income generated because there are more service providers.  The only caveat is that the understudies have to adhere to the same quality standards and/or methodologies as the business owner. 

An array of businesses owners could use this or a similar model including: photographers, coaches, personal trainers, day spa owners, personal shoppers, aestheticians, virtual assistants, etc.

2) Raise Your Rates:
The point is to raise your rates so that you can generate more income with fewer clients.  This strategy however REALLY requires that the business owner not only present superior work, products or services but also it must be done within an environment that makes paying extra a no-brainer for the customer. 

Sticking with the hair salon analogy. I could go to numerous local (cut-rate) beauty shops to get my hair washed and styled. I however am willing to travel and to pay top dollar to my stylist. Not only has she done wonders with my hair, she also works in a fabulous neighborhood in Washington, DC.  The salon itself is nice, clean and the staff provides great customer service, including refreshments.

If your business is online, give some thought to how you deliver your work, product or service.  What does your web site look like— it is attractive and user-friendly? Do you provide personalized, quick and professional customer service? Is your product packaging attractive? Do you offer overnight delivery? Do you have a FAQ section to help customers make decisions or learn more about your work, service or products?

3. Add Merchandising to Your Business:
Many businesses, including hair salons and day spas, earn considerable revenue selling clients products.  To help their clients maintain their hair or skin between visits, a hair salon may sell various types of shampoos and conditioners, while a day spa might sell moisturizers, facial toners or exfolitating agents.  

While some business sell their own brands, most simply sell products from related businesses. 

Items Suitable for Merchandising, include:
books, audio tapes, DVDs, clothing, exercise mats, specialized equipment, supplies, vitamins/supplements, tote bags, computer software, mouse pads, etc.

The trick of merchandising whether you’re online or in a brick & mortar store is to make sure that customer are aware of these additional products.  This education can be done tactfully while the service is being provided or by making suggestions just prior to the  check-out process.

BTW, If you found value in this blog post, please leave a comment below and tell you friends to come on by!

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Photo Credit: Dizzy Girl

My intention as an author, speaker and self-sufficiency coach is to help women to live fuller lives.  The underlying philosophy of my work is that a woman needs financial independence in order for her  to be able to exercise autonomy over her life and affairs.  To put it bluntly: If someone else is footing your bills, then it’s them, not you who’s calling the shots.  

In my mission to empower women I’ve had the pleasure of participating in the BnB Summer Diva Series Creating the Life & Love You Want on BlogTalk radio, hosted by author Michelle Grant .  The show airs every other Wednesday at 9pm EST.  Michelle, fellow panelist, attorney and blogger, Carolyn Edgar and I use our airtime to talk about how people can improve their finances,  careers, relationships and overall lives. 

In My Effort to Pay It Forward…..

I’m offering the listeners of the BNB Summer Diva Series, an opportunity to WIN a  Single Session Private Money/Mindset Coaching with me  (a $165.00 value). There will be at least one winner for each show.

What You Can Expect from a Money/Mindset Coaching Session: In this 1 hour, concentrated session I’ll work with you to resolve a specific financial issue in your life. This is an intense and powerful coaching experience that will reveal what’s holding you back and identify your next steps.

To be Eligible To Win:  

1.  You must be at least 21 years old and female. 
2. Email me a paragraph that discusses that problem that you want help with and what you hope to gain from a Private Money/Mindset Coaching session with me. Please be sure to include your full name, age and contact information.  I will announce the winner(s) for that week on the BNB Summer Series. You’ll have to DM or email me that evening to claim your coaching session. My email address is Yvonne@Sophisticatedwomanandmama.com
3. If your on Twitter, then Re-Tweet 5 of your friends about the BnB Diva Summer Series w/a  link to http://sophisticatedwomanandmama.com  

Since everyone can’t win a coaching session….

 You may want to consider purchasing my 3 part audio course, How To Achieve Financial Freedom From Where You Are Now! For only $25.00 you’ll receive approximately three hours of information that will help you address your money obstacles and plan a strategy that put you on a new financial path.

Danielle LaPorte was a natural choice to debut my Money Talk interviews. I’ve had the distinct pleasure of working personally with Danielle—2 individual Fire Starter Sessions and 1 group session.  She was instrumental in helping me to re-brand my business to Sophisticated Woman and Mama.The new name better encapsulizes my perspective on how to empower women who are mothers. Danielle dazzled me with her business acumen, clarity, humor and candor.  Additionally, this married mother knows how to rock an outfit.

Danielle is the creator of WhiteHotTruth.com, which has been called “the best place on-line for kick-ass spirituality.” An inspirational speaker and business strategist, Danielle’s new digital book, THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS pre-launches today, April 7, 2010.

THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS, based on her legendary one-on-one and group FIRE STARTER sessions, helps entrepreneurs rock their career according to their truest strengths. From social media to social responsibility, branding to creativity, Danielle is known for her philosophical and candid take on doing meaningful work.

Danielle is a former news show commentator, and director of a Washington-DC think tank, where she managed a team of analysts studying global trends for the likes of the Pentagon and the World Bank. She is the lead author of the Amazon bestseller, Style Statement: Live By Your Own Design, and has been featured in Elle, Vogue Australia, Body + Soul, The National Post, Entertainment Tonight, and The Huffington Post. You can find her on Twitter @daniellelaporte

 1. Describe your relationship with money.

I love it. I love making it. I love using it to have fun, to explore, to thrive. I’ve been a bit rebellious with it in the past. Now I’m having a great, healthy love affair with it. I respect money and the funny thing is, it respects me back by being there when I need it – sometimes rather magically.

More people should talk about their relationship with money. Could you start a revolution in that, please?

 2. Why do you think that most women would rather discuss their sex lives or their husbands rather than their finances?

One word: responsibility. When you talk about your loverly action, you usually come out looking good, even if you’re talking about ways that you personally want to improve, you look like a cool, aspirational chick. But if you talk about money and it’s not positive, there’s more shame involved. Who wants to talk about racking up their credit card yet again, and feeling like a loser because of it?

Also, if there are, say, inequity differences, Jane is bringing in $300k a year and Kate is struggling to make her rent, it’s just as uncomfortable as…saying how good your man (or woman) is in bed, when your friend is starving for some sexy sugar. Personal worth is, well, a deeply personal subject.

 3. What is the most important lesson that you’ve learned about earning and managing your money?

 -When you value yourself, other people will do the same.
- Don’t spend it before you make it.
- Until the cash is in hand and you’re walking out of the bank with it —you have not made the money.
- AND…you gotta believe it to see it.

 4. How can women learn to overcome underearning? (chronically making less than what they need to comfortably meet their expenses)

*Cheap is expensive in the long run*, I say.  This is paradigm-buster for a lot of us. I still slip and cheap out on myself sometimes and it’s so frustrating. But, YOU ARE WORTH IT.

You are worth a boss that fosters your true strengths. Don’t let yourself be hemmed in by other people’s objectives.

You are worth service and support that is stellar, on time, and delivered with a smile. Don’t settle for shoddy or resentful.

You are worth quality things, pleasures, experiences. So buy one pair of great pants that you’ll feel amazing in and will last you for years, rather than three pairs of cheapies that make you feel cheap.

Invest in your growth. Hold out for quality. Say no to cheap and compromise and eventually–and it does take time–eventually, your life fills up with valuable things – from relationships to art — that reflects your true worth.

5. Money helps women to stand in their power and be of service to more people. How has having more money helped you to better reflect your values and ideals with your family, friends and community?

I’m more available to people. I send more flowers. I’ll spend the extra few bucks to buy the eco-friendly cleaner or the organic cotton.

Mostly, though, earning a living based on who I am has deepened my trust in my creativity, my stamina, and, most beautifully my faith in other people. The more I put myself out there and committ to shining and valuing my own shine, the more amazing people I connect with. People have shown me some profound kindnesses and expanded my definitions of prosperity these last few years. Rich in love. Rich in love…

Learn more about THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Spark your genius. Ignite your business.

Make it matter.

by Danielle LaPorte,

creator of WhiteHotTruth.com

 …a digital experience for people with the entrepreneurial spirit.

Pre-ordering opens April 7 with a special sneak peek chapter. Worldwide release is May 12.  The program is $150, with $5 from every purchase going to The Acumen Fund or WomenforWomen.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Danielle sparking up The Fire:

Photo Credit: Anastastia Photography

During the days of slavery some owners allowed their artisan slaves to purchase their freedom. The master set a dollar value on the slave and the slave then worked to raise the required money to end his/her subjugation. In many cases it took years of toil but eventully the slave left his/her plantation a free man or a free woman. The point is that there is always a price to pay to gain your financial or emotional freedom. Unfortunately too often we are not willing to do the hard work necessary to end our own bondage even when a way is available.

Many of you have become slaves to jobs that you hate because you need the income. Deep down however you want to spend more time with your children.  Some of you are staying in bad marriages because you depend on your husband’s income to survive.  Since you have kids you’re probably participating in stress inducing activities just to prove to folks that you’re a “good mother.” Although you are regularly frazzled and tired you are reluctant to pay the price for a better, more fulfilling life. Maybe you’d like to cut down your hours at work or start your own business— and pay for your kids’ education. Perhaps you like to quit some of your volunteer activities so you’ll could have more “me-time.” To make those dreams happen you’d have to be willing make the life and financial decisions that support those goals.

The costs to reduce the stress, fatigue and “mommy guilt” is not just financial. It may also be time and emotions. The cost to reduce your hours at work may be the lost of your health benefits. To advance on your job, you may need to get additional training or attend networking events. If you want to become a solopreneur you’ll probably have to reduce your debt and save money to live on. You may be struggling financially and emotionally because you haven’t decided that freedom is attainable for you.

Fear often keeps us stuck. We are afraid to do something different—we may make the wrong decision. We are afraid people won’t like us if we don’t meet their expectations. However, freedom that manifests itself in peace of mind helps you to be a better mother, spouse and a better paid professional.

1. Decide how you’d like your work and/or family life to be different (less hours, more money, more autonomy, etc)
2. Write down what it would take to make that goal happen (change jobs, cut hours, delegate some responsibility)
3. What is the financial, time or emotional cost associated with pursuing this life change?
4. What kind of resources, information or coaching do you need to create your life and financial freedom plan?

P.S. If you enjoyed this post today, do me a favor and share it on Twitter, Facebook, Digg, or any of the other sites you see below as well. And I’d love to get your feedback… What do you think? Also don’t forget to download my FREE report: 5 WAYS TO LOVE YOUR LIFE NOW and STOP BEING A GUILTY, STRESSED OUT WORKING MOTHER that can be found at SophisticatedWomanandMama.com

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Photo credit: Darwin Bell

Going from corporate cog to solopreneur is never easy. It’s even harder if you are a mother.  I remember the first time it happened. It’s seered into my memory.  The first time I was addressed as R’s mother.

I winced at the introduction because it meant that I no longer had a name, or at least one that mattered. There was an irony in the situation. I had never wanted to be defined by a man. I wanted to be judged by my own accomplishments, by my own character. However my 3 year old son, a pre-man, was indeed the yardstick for how I would be identified and yes, judged.

I loved my son and loved being his mother. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him grow and discover new things about himself and his world. What I didn’t love was the fact that I now wasn’t quite sure who I had become. In my pre-Mommy days I had ran a nationally recognized think tank focused on civic engagement. I was regularly invited to speak at colleges and in the media.

That all changed in January 2005 when I resigned from the organization that I had co-founded and run for nearly 5 years. I now wanted to be a full-time mother to my 7 month old son. It was the right decision for me, I wanted to be a hands-on mother, but knowing that didn’t stop me from having an identity crisis. Like many women who leave the corporate world to start home-based businesses, I was adrift when the title, pay, external validation, friendships and perks of our old life was stripped away .

It took me some time to regain my footing. First I had to realize that both my personal life and my professional life had indeed changed. Then I had to figure out what I wanted to do. The personal end was easier, I loved caring for my son. I also knew that I needed to  lose some weight and start taking better care of myself. Frumpy by choice may be one thing, but frumpy by neglect was an entirely different matter. I came to the conclusion that if I didn’t nurture Yvonne the woman, I wouldn’t have the energy and desire tackle my family and career goals.

Professionally I had to get clear about what type of work fit into my idea about motherhood.  This meant working from home, very little travel and topics that centered on women.  I was lucky that financially I didn’t have to worry about making money immediately; but I did have to figure out my next career move.

There is no magic formula, however once I was certain about my professional and personal priorities, opportunities started to appear. My first book was published the year my son was born. I wrote another book and worked on smaller projects. In 2008 I  launched the first iteration of Sophisticated Woman and Mama (WorkingMomsMentor.com) and my motherhood anthology, Who’s Your Mama? The Unsung Voices of Women and Mothers was published last year.

Here are 5 Steps to Making the Transition from Corporate Mom to Solopreneur:

1. Take care of yourself. A healthy and happy you has to be a priority for the sake of you and your family.  If you are sick, tired or irritable how does that affect your interactions with your kids, spouse and possible clients?  Schedule regular “me-time” so that you can nurture and care for yourself. Also make sure to go the doctor if you don’t feel well–DON’T ignore physical pain or discomfort. 

2. Realize that you’ll probably miss your old job. Unless you are leaving your gig because you absolutely hate it, you’ll miss many aspects of it. Don’t beat yourself up,  instead focus on creating your next act, which speaks to your current life and interests.

3. Before You Quit Have a Financial Plan. Have a safety net (cash and health benefits) that can take care of your financial obligations until your business is profitable (It will take most businesses several years to make a dime). 

4. Don’t Immediately Jump into a New Field.  Rather entering a new field,  develop a transition strategy. Start with the skills and talents that you already have ( volunteer or moonlight), so that you have contact and clients when you do escape cubicle nation.

5. Don’t fire your daycare provider.  It’s VERY difficult to start a business and take care of children, so you’ll probably need a few hours a week of child care.  (At three years I started sending my son to daycare for 2-1/2 hours 3x a week). You want to spend more time with your children, but you’ve also got to dedicate time to work that generates income. 

Most important!!–Learn to do motherhood your own way. Like your child, it changes everyday.  Ask for help and advice, but trust your gut about what you do.

P.S. If you enjoyed this post today, do me a favor and share it on Twitter, Facebook, Digg, or any of the other sites you see below as well. And I’d love to get your feedback… What do you think? Also don’t forget to download my FREE report: 5 WAYS TO LOVE YOUR LIFE NOW and STOP BEING A GUILTY, STRESSED OUT WORKING MOTHER that can be found at SophisticatedWomanandMama.com

Do you know what your money set point is?  It’s the number in our unconscious mind about how much you can earn in a given period.  So you may be comfortable earning $60,000 or $5,000 per month.  However any number beyond that figure will probably make you uncomfortable. It doesn’t matter if you’re an entrepreneur or a salaried employee.  It’s likely that since your money set point is set at $60,000, even if you were presented with a legitimate opportunity to make more, say $600,000 a year or $50,000 a month you’d sabotage it.

It’s true. A gal making $60,000 a year doesn’t usually think that she has the skills, talents, experience or knowledge to make $600,000.  The fear that I’m not enough (I don’t know enough) will cause some people to pass on the opportunity entirely. Others will take it on and simply bungle it.  The self-saboteur will bungle it by not being secure enough to ask for the help and resources she needed to successfully complete the project. Another group may perform brilliantly, get the $600,000 and then lose it all.  How many million dollar lottery winners have lost all of their winnings within a few years.

Stuart Wilde, author of The Trick to Money is Having Some says: ” The key to success is to raise your own energy; when you do, people will naturally be attracted to you. And when they show uo, bill ‘em.”

Most people just don’t have the mindset needed to create and retain large amounts of money. Nor do they have the internal capacity to  deal with the increased challenges that accompany increased money and success. So how does one go about increasing her money set point?

First you have to determine your current money set point? Are you programmed to earn $20,000-$30,000 a year?  40,000-$50,000 a year? $75,000-$100,000 a year; $150,000-$200,000 a year or $250,000 a year or more.  If you’re not sure where you stand just look at your individual W-2 forms for the last several years. What’s in your bank account? In your investment portfolio? What is your net worth.

Second: Study yourself. It’s an old axiom, “Your income can only increase to the extent that you do.” Start being more aware about your thoughts, especially your fears, beliefs and habits surrounding money.  Ask yourself: Do you truly believe that you deserve to have a financially lucrative business? Do you truly believe that you have skills, talents and knowledge that command high-end fees? Do you truly believe that you have a real shot at living a financially abundant life. 

If you answered no to any of these questions, then you have have stopped your cashflow.  Blaming outside forces may be soothing, but it won’t change your circunstances. Even in a bad economy, there are people making money—and that’s always been the case.  

Some people believe that they have something to offer the marketplace.  So the determined folks do whatever it takes to pursue their dreams. They go on American Idol (Carrie Underwood) , or they’ll start a blog (Perez Hilton)  or they’ll play in the NBA despite being 5′ 3″ (Tyrone ”Mugssy” Bogues). The rest of us—the folks too afraid to pursue our dreams sit at home and grouse about mediocre talents being overpaid.

There are no magic bullets, you have to work on eliminating your limiting beliefs about yourself and about money. Moreover, you have to replace those old beliefs with new ones.  Without changing your mind game, all of the marketing sytems and virtual assistants will not help you to substantially improve your finances.

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