Let's Get Rich, Ladies

I am not going to stop talking about women making money.

I want us to have independence, freedom, and the opportunity to create businesses that matter to us. I want us to charge for the value we create and decide what to do with our money.

And I want us to stop making that harder for each other.

If another woman's financial ambition makes you uncomfortable, it is worth looking at why. If your own ambition is being criticized, it is worth understanding the beliefs behind that criticism without letting them decide your future.

New possibilities require stepping outside old expectations

As a life coach and entrepreneur, I have the freedom to set my own prices.

That is a beautiful opportunity.

But I often hear women criticize other women for charging more than they expect someone in that work to charge.

They compare coaching to what a therapist charges, or a class to what a teacher is typically paid. The implication is that we should stay within the familiar range.

I think many people making those arguments mean well. They want things to be affordable.

But I also think they may not see how those expectations hold women back from creating work and earning at a level that was not traditionally available to us.

Different does not automatically mean wrong.

Respect women making their own purchasing decisions

When someone tells me to lower my prices, I think about my customers, many of whom are women.

I create value through work I take seriously. I charge for that value. I also give away content, including this podcast, for people who cannot afford to buy.

There are women who can afford the work, want to purchase it, and want to use it to take their lives to another level.

I do not want to assume they have no money or cannot decide for themselves what they want to buy.

I want to respect their ability to choose.

Before criticizing a woman for earning more in a new way, ask whether the criticism is based on something being unfamiliar.

Success can be an example rather than something to hide

I have been told to stop discussing money or how successful I am because it makes other people feel bad.

I also receive feedback from women who appreciate seeing what I have created while working from home and raising my children.

They see an example of earning money independently and creating value for other women.

I do not need a man's permission to set a price. I do not have to work for a man or sell only to men.

I enjoy having men in my programs. The point is that women can also support women and create valuable work for one another.

I want that possibility to become more familiar, not something we stop discussing because it is uncomfortable.

Do not turn rarity into a reason to stop trying

Someone once told me that only a very small percentage of people become that successful, so it was not fair to tell people they could succeed.

My response was to question why we would treat that small percentage as the final destination.

If we want more women to succeed, we need more women pursuing success—not fewer women trying because it is unusual.

The way I know to contribute is to show what is possible, share what I have created, and help others see a path.

We can acknowledge that something is hard without deciding another woman should not attempt it.

Have compassion for doubt without adopting it

When someone tells you that so few people have done it that you should not try, they may be trying to protect you from disappointment.

They may never have been taught that this is possible for them. They may not believe it is possible for you, either.

I think a lot of that doubt is socialized.

You do not have to get angry or label them a hater to understand what is happening.

Have compassion for where they are coming from. Then decide whether their belief is the one you want to use.

You can be the person who demonstrates something they have not yet seen.

Notice when you explain away a woman's achievement

Do you see a successful woman and immediately explain it by her looks, family, or a particular opportunity?

She may have had privilege, luck, or help.

You can acknowledge that and still look for where she earned her result.

Many people have opportunities and do nothing with them. Discrediting the person who used them can keep you from being inspired by what she created.

If someone explains away your success, recognize that pattern without letting it erase your work.

I want us to give women credit for what they create.

Put your attention on building the business

If you want to build an incredibly successful business, you need to focus on value, pricing, marketing, profit, and being willing to take risks.

It can be tempting to make the main question whether everyone around you supports the ambition.

I understand why that matters. We often want our friends and community with us as we navigate something new.

But you may not have that support.

People may say your dream is unrealistic, your work is a scam, or your plan will never work.

Knowing that can be part of the experience helps you decide to keep creating rather than wait for everyone to feel comfortable.

Your belief is still your work

I can tell you I believe success is possible. I can share how I did it and the path I took.

I cannot believe in your capability for you.

You have to create that belief yourself.

Do you want to believe the people who have never seen this happen, or do you want to show them that it can?

You do not need to copy every way money has been made before. We can create our own businesses and our own ways of working.

I want us to expand the possibilities for independence and freedom.

You are a legitimate businesswoman

You are allowed to create, charge, build, hire, and decide what you want to do with your money.

Those freedoms were hard fought by people who came before us.

The fact that everyone has not normalized them is not a reason to stop using them.

It may require courage. You may feel afraid.

If you want to become rich, I want to encourage you to pursue it without apologizing for the desire or hiding it because someone else is uncomfortable.

If you do not want that, that is completely fine.

You can still support the woman who does. Her dream may look unrealistic to you, and she may achieve it anyway.

I hope that possibility excites you.

Let us encourage each other. Becoming successful can be hard. We do not need to make it harder for the women around us who want to do it.