I often hear clients be wishy-washy on how much they charge. Some clients cringe when it comes to asking to be paid. OH NO!!!! Time to get the credit card information... NOOOOO!!!!!! Payment is coming!!! The world is ending!
Ah, us funny humans. We talk about wanting more money. We talk about prosperity. We talk about abundance. We talk about the "lifestyle", yet we don't talk about value.
Join me and together let's go to the dark side. I promise, I will be with you and hold your hand and together step through into the magical land of opportunities and yes, money. 🙂
Earlier I was at the local pet store grabbing some food for my little dogs, when these words caught my attention, "value what matters" (marketing on a dog food display). Take those words in and allow them to land and connect with you... value what matters. Breathe these words in and now say these words and let them connect to your body. Feel them.... value what matters. Now feel these words in your heart... value what matters. And now let's say it one more time and notice what comes through your mind... value what matters.
What comes up for you? There is no right or wrong answer. Just be curious.
This kind of curiosity and exploration is part of the work I do with clients to help them bring alignment with that which they love, that which they are good at, that which the world needs, and that which they can be paid for. Altogether, their purpose.
Yet as we are all stepping into your purpose, there are certain things that have a special place for us regarding value.
What do you value? What matters to you that you have placed a value on it?
Here are some of mine, and I invite you to be fully honest with yourself. (Again, no judgment, this is an exploration for yourself).
- I value quality time with my husband
- I value my good morning snuggles with my dogs as they wake me up
- I value sitting by the beach and drink a glass of wine as I write
- I value the friends/colleagues I have surrounded myself with, and even when I don't always want to hear or respond to their advice
- I value my garden and witnessing the results of the retreat space created
- I value the growth, transformation, and very practical results clients obtain, and the joy of what comes because of the process
- I value the wisdom that resistance and fear have become my friends and allies for growing into something bigger and appreciating the process
- Finally, I value myself, even though at times I question if I am in over my head
Note I did not include how much money I want in my bank account. If your value includes this, great, again no judgment, this is for you.
Now let's take the statement on a deeper level... what matters to you?
Here is an interesting observation. What matters to you is what you spend your time, money, and resources on. Again, I will repeat, what matters to you is what you spend your time, money, and resources on. You place a financial value on these areas. You may say x matters to you, yet if you are being honest with your behaviors and actions, do these support your statement. My kids matter to me.... yet I have missed my son's first baseball game, or "I'm too busy with x, y, or z to do ___ with you". I want my business to grow, yet you don't sign up for services or even opportunities that will get there. Consciously or unconsciously, you are placing a value of something above something else. If you really want it, then you may think twice about your second order extra-large cup of specialty coffee.
In business I hear, "I can't afford it", "if only...", "I can't because....". Yes, owning, developing, and growing a business is no small feat, hence why so many businesses don't survive. If you don't value what matters to you regarding your business, then yes you will find every excuse or reason to not grow into that next level of abundance and prosperity. Yet, if we can use our "what we value" with our purpose so we can massively monetize our mastery, then why not?!
There is no shame in wanting the "lifestyle" and all that can come with it. I break up my day and enjoy a walk in the forest or let the dogs run the beach. Guess what, some of my best ah-ha moments come during these downtimes especially when I find myself stuck with a problem and not sure how to solve it for myself or my clients.
I work hard, don't get me wrong, and I learned to be strategic. I value my time, my insights, my wisdom and abilities to know and implement solutions for results, and most of all the value I bring to excel in growth. I value that I choose not to take on a huge number of clients if I want to give them the best of me in a very personalized 1-1 or small group capacity. I value that for me to be at the best version of myself I can't be a work-a-holic (I have lupus). I value that if I want, believe, and demonstrate being in value while having a business, then guess what I better walk the talk.
I choose to charge more financially, so I can show up fully, so that I can support my clients, and that I can enjoy all aspects of being. No excuses, no holding back, no comprising... I stand in value for what matters for myself, and being an advocate for fellow heart center entrepreneurs who are here to make a difference in this world.
What are you choosing to do right now to value what matters?
Stay Curious and Compassionate
-Mellissa