Denise Duffield-Thomas's Blog, page 26

My top 3 things when money is tight

Let’s be super honest - it’s still a bit of an uncertain time for a lot of people. 

It's natural to worry about cashflow in this climate, I know it’s been on my mind this week.

But there are still plenty of ways for you to manifest more money for your business.

All businesses have ups and downs in cashflow, so if you’re in a bit of lean period - that’s totally normal.

Here are three things you can do when money is tight. 

#1 Shut down any unnecessary spending. 

Are there areas of your business you can scaled back or delay planned spending? 

Can you put a few things on hold - maybe that new logo or no new courses for a while?

But don’t cut back on things that will make your life harder or stop you making money!

Click here to listen to my podcast all about finding and plugging money leaks in your business. 

 

#2 Focus on money making activities

I know it’s obvious, but sometimes we resist it. 

It can be really overwhelming when you start to feel that pinch. And sometimes that can lead to procrastination due to fear and overwhelm. 

But here's the thing, money isn't gonna come in by itself. 

So it's time to focus on purely money generating activities for a little while, which means you might need to put some creation things or other projects on the back burner.

What’s going to bring in the dough? 

For example, sending sales emails to your newsletter list. Creating a sale on a product that you've already got, or I bet there's some products that you've got just sitting there waiting to launch. 

Another great way to generate some cash is to chase up some of your existing clients. 

You know there are always a few clients that owe money, that sometimes you might be little lax in chasing up.

You’ve probably also got potential clients who have made inquiries about your product or service and you just haven’t gotten around to answering - so jump on them and I bet you’ll be able to generate some cash quickly. 

 

#3 Tell people what you have to offer

I love sales strategies (ethical ones of course). But a really overlooked and almost-too-obvious one is just…. telling people how you can help them. 

Like, “I have this thing and here’s how you can buy it” 

I know, it feels more complicated than that. But for example, if you’re giving a lot for free at the moment to help your community - at the end, say something really simple like:

“If you want to take this further, here’s how I can help you”

So, if you’re doing a free webinar about how to create your own website, you say “and if you really just want me to do it for you, here’s my website package” 

If you’re showing people how to really up their self-care right now, you say “and I have a package of candles, face masks and chocolate here” 

It works for virtually everything and it’s totally in integrity. Even if all you have to sell is an hour of your time - make the offer. 

It’s okay to give for free, and it’s okay to have a solution for people. There’s always someone who wants to take the next step - but they won’t if you don’t offer it. 

But don't be afraid to reach out to clients - whether they're established customers, or potential customers.

What you offer may actually be something they really needed right now! So don’t make the decision for people. 

Everyone values something completely different right now. Something that feels an unnecessary luxury to one person, might be a vital part of someone else’s self-care, mental health or personal growth right now. 

Share what you know can help people and make an offer to the ones who want the next step.

And here’s a bonus tip. 

This all comes down to how you feel about money - your money mindset. 

I know myself, when I get these lean times or when we’ve got a month with a lot of outgoings, sometimes I let the fear come in and I start to doubt my ability as a businesswoman. 

So I want you to stop that right in your tracks because you have to remember exactly why you're in business for yourself. 

It's for the freedom, the flexibility, and also the ability to generate more money than he probably did in your old job. 

So keep your eye on the prize and remind yourself daily exactly why you're doing this. 

Try this affirmation…

“There’s always more money”

If you want more support to work through your money blocks, then the training and community in my Money Bootcamp program might be what you’re looking for. 

We’ve helped over 9,000 people like you to make more money and create their First Class life. Come and join us when you’re ready.

xx Denise

Copycats, jealousy and being original

EPISODE 94:
Copycats, jealousy and being original
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Small words of wisdom for this week:

Just because someone is succeeding in addition to you, doesn’t mean they are succeeding instead of you.

There’s nothing new under the sun, right? It can be nerve wracking to put your ideas out there because what if it looks like you’re trying to copy someone else.

Or even worse, what if someone ends up copying you and making even more money.

How can we be original when the world around us is moving a mile a minute?

Let me tell you a story …

A few years back, I published a blog post about spotting money leaks in your business.

I had batched the content months before, but it just so happened that the week I picked to publish that post, a peer of mine published the exact same post!!

Was it just a coincidence?

Today on the Chill and Prosper podcast, I’m talking about copycats, making your own path, and being original in your business (plus what happened with that blog post).

Links

Join Money Bootcamp
Buy my books

 

How to break up with a business partner

Let’s talk about a topic that many of us try to avoid:

Breakups. 

Breaking up is tough in your personal life or in business.

But you know that sometimes it’s necessary. An unhealthy business relationship can hurt you in more ways than one.

Working with partners who don’t contribute is, at best, a waste of time.

And yet, so many of us find it hard to let go. Rather than looking at the association as simply business, we take it personally. Not to mention that breakups are super awkward.

Here’s an example… 

For one reason or another, you might stay with a service provider for longer than you should. In trying to avoid hurt feelings, you’re hurting yourself and your business.

But what if I told you that it doesn’t have to be like this? 

It’s true! You can end a relationship without any awkwardness or guilt.

All it takes is a little mindset shift.

First things first – you need to understand that there’s nothing personal about a business breakup. The decision to stop working together doesn’t have to mean that either of you did anything wrong.

Instead, you should consider it a completely normal part of growth. Your business has flourished to the point where it’s outgrown its service providers. This is absolutely fine!

Or maybe it’s because you’ve changed your business model, or the provider has changed their focus. Or maybe they did do something wrong, and you just can’t work with them anymore.

Whatever the reason, know that you deserve to work with the best people you can find!

You work so hard to build your business, don’t let a replaceable business relationship hold you back. You have a responsibility to do what’s best for yourself and your business.

Don’t hesitate to end any relationship that’s holding you back.

I know it can be awkward and tough. 

But I also know you’re capable of standing your ground and breaking up with a business partner that doesn’t fit your next stage of growth. 

Here are three ways to make it easier:

 

1. “It’s not you, it’s me”

Have you ever had to say this to someone?

Sure you have!

It’s the least painful way to break up if you don’t want to hurt the other person’s feelings. 

Here’s an example of what you could say:

“I really appreciate the work you’ve done for me, and thank you for helping me get to where I am. I’ve just realized that my business needs are changing, so it would be best if this was our last session.”

As you can see, it’s really not that hard. You can move on without offending the provider or feeling any guilt.

 

2. Complete honesty

If you’ve had a completely open relationship with your provider from the start, you might as well carry it out to the end.

Ideally, everyone should be able to handle the truth. Hopefully, that’s the case with your business partner. You don’t have to come up with any excuses. You can just tell it like it is and move on.

Unfortunately, there are many people who’d rather not hear the truth. Listen to your gut when you decide whether honesty is the best policy. 

 

3. Short and Sweet

Okay, maybe not that sweet, but short nevertheless.

Sometimes you just have to remember that “No” is a complete sentence. You can be firm and get the breakup over with, all the while remaining professional and polite.

You could say something like:

“Thank you for everything you’ve done so far. My situation has changed and we should discontinue our relationship. I wish you all the best.”

And that’s it. Easy enough, don’t you think?

xx Denise

How to find your ideal Mastermind

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably done a lot of personal development work on your business journey. 

This is because no business can thrive unless the leaders are in the right frame of mind.

I’ve tried it all – courses, seminars, books – you name it!

But one of the most useful personal growth tool of all is surrounding myself with the right people.

Why is this so important?

Because energy is contagious. If you spend your time with moaners and complainers, you’ll become one of them before you know it.

Trust me; I’ve been there.

Participating in formal and informal mastermind groups helped me transform my business and navigate the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur. 

Sometimes I paid to join; others, I created myself so that every day I was connected to people who knew what they wanted and how to achieve it. 

We would support, encourage, and help each other go after what we want.

I can’t begin to explain how much this changed my life. All of a sudden, I became more passionate and creative. I picked up a support system that still means so much to me today.

And that’s what I want for you. 

Having the right people by your side significantly increases your chances of success. You’ll surround yourself with the drive and energy needed to work on the life you want to lead.

But first, you’ve got to know how to find your mastermind group.

You can start with the following tips:

 1. Look for matched energy

The people around you don’t need to have the same goals. But they must have the same energy and mindset. After all, the purpose of a mastermind is to surround yourself with like-minded people.

For example, I was always the super-energetic one in all of my masterminds. But that didn’t mean that those who were a bit more reserved couldn’t benefit. They focused on longer-term goals and worked at their own pace.

You don’t need a mastermind filled with duplicate versions of you. You should have a variety of people. Just put your focus on how their energy affects you. If they have a positive effect, they’d be great for your group.

2. Make a commitment

I’ve participated in countless paid masterminds. That’s not to say I could afford to do so all the time. 

That’s why I chose to form my own mastermind with just a couple of my colleagues from work. We’d meet every week to discuss our biggest goals and how to achieve them.

We held those meetings for nine months without exception. We made a commitment to support each other from day one, and none of us backed out.

Every business person needs a support system. When looking for the right one, you might as well surround yourself with people who’ll stick around.

3. Keep it real

I always advise against forming a mastermind with non-biz friends, family, or partners. 

They’re examples of people who are too close to you to be objective. What’s worse, they might have a vested interest in preventing you from succeeding.

Whatever the case, you need people who’ll not only support you but are willing to kick your butt when you need it.

In essence, it’s about finding people who can remain realistic and help you achieve your goals. 

It’s going to make a world of difference!

xx Denise

 

P.S. My Money Bootcamp might be perfect for you if you’re looking for a supportive community of new business besties and a safe space to talk about money and your goals. 

Hit reply with the word “Bootcamp” and I’ll send you details about how our group and training program could help you to take the next step in growing your business. 

Denise on the Melissa Ambrosini Show - Why you don't have the wealth you want

 

Melissa Ambrosini · 489: Millionaire Mindset Secrets, Build A Hugely Profitable Business | Denise Duffield-Thomas

Hi there, 

I recently sat down with my friend, the incredible Melissa Ambrosini, to talk all things money blocks and self-sabotage. 

This is for you if you have ever caught yourself sabotaging your wealth - like undercharging a client even though you *know* you’re worth more or not speaking up when it’s time for a promotion. 

In this episode of the Melissa Ambrosini Show, I share how to clear up your biggest money blocks so you can open up to a wildly wealthy and abundant life.

How would your life change if you were less stressed over money and instead use that energy to do more things you love with your loved ones? 

In this episode, you'll learn:

More about my journey from life coach to multi-million dollar business owner
Common money blocks you're likely to face and how to overcome them
How to stop self-sabotaging your income 
How I earn money and my 7-figure mindset tips 
Why you need to choose your mentors and coaches wisely

And why loving and learning to accept yourself are key to success in life.

There’s so much gold in this interview - I hope you enjoy it, and I’d love to hear your ahas. 

xx Denise

P.S. When you’re ready to dive deeper into your money blocks and how to clear them, here’s how I can help…

Follow me on socials and tell me the blocks are coming up for you right now in your business. 
Subscribe and listen to my Chill & Prosper podcast, all about business, marketing and mindset 
Check out my book "Chill and Prosper" (paperback, Kindle or audio) to learn the new way to do business on your terms, make money and change the world 
And of course, Money Bootcamp  is the best way to work on your money mindset with me as your coach and mentor. 

Hit reply with the the words "I’m ready" any time, and we can chat about how Bootcamp can help you reprogram your money mindset and revolutionize your business.

Ask Me Anything: How to protect yourself from negativity

EPISODE 93:
Ask Me Anything: How to protect yourself from negativity
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I am doing another episode of Ask Me Anything. 

It keeps me on my toes because I’m answering a question every couple of minutes! 

So first up… I love this question: How do I write a book? 

It’s funny because I’m queen of procrastination when it comes to writing. I need life or death deadlines. 

Create accountability - get a writing coach or a writing buddy. Pre-sell a book, and then you have to write it. Ha ha!

But basically, I think everyone should write a book.

Next question: how to get from four to five figures? 

First of all, release the idea that you’ll have to work harder. Each time you reach a new plateau it’s time for some excavation of your money mindset. 

Ask yourself: where am I making this too hard? Where am I not allowed to have ease in my business? 

I’m here to tell you: you're allowed to have ease. 

And then of course there are logistics, maybe you need to grow your list. Maybe you need to tell more people about what you do. Bottom line: it’s a mindset game. 

Next question: How to deal with other people's negativity? 

This can be really tricky. It's hard to shine if someone's constantly putting you down.

So you have to shelter yourself - don't hang out with negative people when you're feeling vulnerable. 

Crowd out unhelpful feedback by listening to, reading about and surrounding yourself with people who talk positively about money. 

In this episode, you'll learn:

How to prep for maternity leave (or time off)
The way I handle lifetime access for my courses 
Why everyone needs to write a book (and how to do it!)
How to protect your money mindset from negativity
Quick and easy ways to bring in money in under 24 hours

Links

Join Money Bootcamp
Buy my books

 

How to heal your relationship with money

A huge amount of the work that comes with clearing money blocks has to do with first  healing your money story. 

Money stories come in all different shapes and sizes, but there are common themes that all lead back to who we are and the beliefs we have about money. 

It’s such a juicy topic, so let’s unpack it now. 

 

 

 

The reality doesn’t really matter.

Over the years, I’ve talked to thousands of entrepreneurs about money, and the one thing that always amazes me is that how much money their parents had or didn’t have just doesn’t count when we get into the mindset work. 

It’s their FEELINGS about money growing up that matter the most. 

When I ask whether people grew up rich, poor, or middle class, the belief is often different from the reality. 

There are people who say, “I thought we were poor, but we weren’t. I found out my parents were millionaires!” 

Or, “We were poor, but I didn’t know. We were so happy and carefree all the time.” 

If you look at your own childhood, what feelings did you have about money? 

Did your mother hide purchases of new clothes or shoes from your dad because she wasn’t “allowed” to spend money? 

If so, you probably feel guilty spending money on yourself or even repeat the behavior by hiding expenses from YOUR partner. 

Did your family go through feast and famine periods where you’d have luxurious treats one month and nothing the next? 

Maybe you’re repeating the same habits. One week you’re buying champagne, and the next, you’re going into debt for simple things like groceries and bills.  

Do you feel you have to work hard for your money? That only “hard work pays off”? 

Maybe you procrastinate and then pull all-nighters to “justify” making money. 

It’s really common for this one to manifest as a feeling that earning money easily doing something you love is “lazy” and unworthy.  

If you don’t clear the money stories from your childhood, you’ll continue the patterns into a new generation instead of creating your own legacy. This is my biggest money sabotage – read all about it here.

The annoying thing is that these stories might not even be what your parents or family believed themselves; what matters is what you took away from those experiences and the things you told yourself. 

 So how do you deal with it?

Clearing Your Money Blocks

If you have any money stories from childhood that you’ve not cleared, you’re living with a legacy of guilt that you don’t need and that will be stopping the abundance that you’re trying to manifest.

The annoying thing is that these stories might not even be what your parents or family believed themselves, what matters is what you took away from those experiences, and the things you told yourself.

How to Shift Your Money Mindset

The most powerful thing you can do is to embrace the power of forgiveness.

It’s a really easy four step process

1)    Forgive Your Parents
2)    Express Gratitude for the Lessons
3)    Embrace Self Forgiveness
4)    Send Love to All Involved

1)    FORGIVE

When you’re working with money stories from childhood, the first step is always to forgive your parents, or your guardians; whoever you grew up with who influenced you around money. Check out a super simple Forgiveness Exercise here.

When you forgive them for the money stories that played out around you when you were a child, it frees you to create a new money story for yourself, which is really powerful.

2)    EXPRESS GRATITUDE

Thank your parents for the lessons, because this brings you into a space of gratitude, which is a powerfully abundant state to be in. You don’t have to actually thank them (although you can totally do this too!), just feel a sense of gratitude in your heart.

3)    EMBRACE SELF-FORGIVENESS

Apologise – again, do this in your mind, rather than out loud (unless you really want to!). Saying sorry takes you into self-forgiveness for believing the money stories that you took on when you were a child.

When you take responsibility for your own money story, you can deal with it, and then move on in the direction YOU choose, rather than being led by your unconscious money story script.

You can also see where you decided to believe certain things about money and can forgive yourself for making those choices and creating the life you’ve had so far.

4)    SEND LOVE TO ALL INVOLVED

And finally, when you send love to those you’re forgiving you bring yourself into the highest vibration you can, which is incredibly abundant.

By coming back to love, you align yourself with the most powerful force in the Universe… and who doesn’t want that?

Super simple – follow the steps above and record what comes up for you as you move through the process. And, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – remember our money work is never done! It may get easier but we gotta keep working on it. So don’t be surprised if you’re working on it again in six months time – new level, old devil, as I like to say!

As always, it’s your time, and you’re ready for the next step.

Denise x

P.S. When you’re ready and want my support to heal your relationship with money, here are four ways I can help you...

Follow me and let me know what blocks are coming up that I can help you shift – Click Here
Subscribe and listen to the Chill & Prosper podcast all about business, marketing and mindset - Click Here
Grab a copy of my book, "Get Rich, Lucky Bitch" (paperback, Kindle or audio) to work on mindset tweaks you can make in your business – Click Here
Work with me in my money mindset coaching program and mastermind community.   Click here to message me  with the word "Heal" and let’s chat about how Bootcamp can help you reprogram your money mindset and revolutionize your business.

Business lessons from Mickey Mouse

You might not know this, but I come from a performing background. 

I've danced my whole life - from the age of 8 to 16, I was in the dance studio a couple of nights a week. 

Then I worked for a company that did Bugs Bunny shows all around Australia, and I spent my school holidays working as a children's performer. 

Later, I even performed as one of the Olympic mascots, Millie the Echidna, for the Sydney 2000 Olympic games.

So I love looking at things from a dance and a performing lens, and I've got some lessons to share about being the Mickey Mouse in your business.

I recently took my kids to Disney on Ice and realized that they didn't really who know Mickey Mouse was - his cartoons are just not on as much as when I was a kid. 

But when he came out onto the ice - oh my God. 

They were really excited, and I couldn't work out what was going on!

Here’s the thing, every time Mickey Mouse is on stage, whether it's at Disneyland or at Disney on Ice, everyone stops and makes a massive, big freaking deal about Mickey Mouse. Always. 

The lights change, and there's usually a trumpet or special song. 

There are lots of visual and emotional cues - very theatrical. 

And all of the performers defer to Mickey. They all turn to look at Mickey and take the lead from his movement and jokes. 

So it's a really big freaking deal when he comes out. And same with at Disneyland.

Mickey is always front and center of the parade - he's the star of the show. He's on every piece of merchandise and in every laser show. 

I don't think kids are that into Mickey Mouse, but they still revere him - he has magical star power.

So how does this relate to you and your business?

 1. Overdelivering

When you're starting out and as your business grows, it's easy for bad habits like over-delivering to creep in.

For so long, I was so used to over-delivering, and some of it was to prove I'm still humble. I'd help move tables at events or sweep the floor. I just wanted to pitch in. 

You know, I'm part of the team. I don't think I'm special. I don't think I'm more special than anyone else. 

When my Bootcamp community got to 4,000 members, I was so exhausted because I felt I had to answer every single question myself. 

 2. Not asking for what you need

I found it hard to ask for the support I needed - I was doing my own hair and make-up, had poor boundaries with my time, and I said yes to way too many things. 

It was exhausting being everything at once. I'd be like, let me do it, let me be the stage hand, and then I have to go and be the star.

3. Being taken for granted 

Then I found that people were really taking my energy for granted. I wasn't special. I was just like mom.

People were tagging me on the weekends - "Hey Denise, what do you think about this? I'd love to get your thoughts on this…"

I had tags on Christmas day one year - "Denise, what do you think about this thing? What should I price my products at?" 

There was no reverence for Denise. I was not the Mickey Mouse of this business. I was the always available hard-working stagehand or the background dancer that everyone takes for granted. 

So something had to change. Sound familiar? 

Where can you edify yourself in your business?

How can you position yourself as someone special and worthy of paying attention to?

Do you need someone to introduce you at events as a "hype person" or someone helping to answer questions in your group? 

I even started hiring people to greet people, "Oh, are you excited to see Denise today?" 

Have you noticed  when you go to Disney that they're all selling Disney merchandise, but they're going, "You're seeing Mickey today!" You can create these little moments in your business.

Remember, you're not going to do these things out of some belief that you're so special, but it can be transformational for your income and energy to assume the role of Mickey in your business.

You can be a role model. Role model boundaries. Role model not having to be and do everything for everyone in your business. 

Being the star of the show really does benefit everybody because when you have more energy, you can show up in a much more powerful way. 

What is coming up for you? Where can you be more Mickey?

Do you need to shift or change the way you do your business? Better boundaries around your time? Not feeling like you have to solve every problem of everyone's life? 

Or just a mindset shift so you know that your energy is the one that can't be replaced. There's only one of you.

It's safe for you to value your time and energy.

xx Denise

Money Bootcamp gave me permission to invest in myself

MONEY BOOTCAMP REVIEW
Amoya Shante

Master NLP Practitioner, Hypnotherapist & Money Mindset Coach
Merida, Mexico

 

Coming from a single parent household where my mother worked in the military, I grew up with the belief that money equated to long hours away from your family for very little pay, and a job that you weren't really happy in. As a child, the pay-check to pay-check living was the norm, trading hour for money. These money stories have shown up in my business and in my inability to delegate for a long time. I was afraid to raise my prices and had a lot of resistance to having high-ticket offers. I used to struggle with the inability to close the laptop down and schedule time off because my mind still went back to that whole nine to five or 40 plus hour work week. Same cycle, same story as mom, until changed the narrative.

Since joining Bootcamp, it really gave me permission to invest in myself and to be okay with not having to overdeliver and please people. It has also shifted this idea of ‘making money is hard work’. I became aware of how all my sabotaging behaviour was showing up in my business and was able to make big shifts I needed to experience huge financial success. I've learned through being in Bootcamp, and through my own work, that it's important to charge. When I learned this, it was a game changer. I was able to actually help more people by charging higher prices, because then I had the energy to create those low end offers or free content.

Another big thing with Money Bootcamp was just normalizing talking about money, normalizing talking about the amounts we do desire because I felt like before that space, I didn't really have a community where I could share these things. It was really, really powerful for me to have the community where we could talk about the actual numbers and celebrate each other’s wins.

Ready for a Money Breakthrough?
This could be you too!

With the right mindset training and mentor you can break through your income plateau, and elevate your business to next level success!

Money Bootcamp is THE proven and practical comprehensive money mindset training, with an awesome private community of entrepreneurs.

Click here to find out how you can transform your relationship with money and move towards financial freedom for you and your family.

 

    

How decluttering helps you attract more money

EPISODE 92:
How decluttering helps you attract more money
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Let’s be real: the physical space around you can really impact your mindset. 

Clutter can clog you up. It impacts your ability to focus and nags at you when you have a million other things to do.  Kind of like having 50 tabs open on your computer and you can’t figure out which one the music is coming from … 

It’s simply overwhelming.

When you have a lot of stuff, it's really hard to appreciate what you actually have in your life.

I’m a big fan of Marie Kondo’s KonMari Method. Marie’s instructions are that if it doesn’t spark joy, it has to go. 

Because a build up of junk in your workspace can actually spark a lot of negative outcomes instead … 

… stress because you can never find what you need under the mountain of mess on your desk.

… procrastination because you’ve been meaning to clean out your refrigerator for a while now and just got a whiff of death while getting a snack, so now you have to drop everything. 

… frustration because you are working all day every day … but nothing in your business or home ever seems to get done. 

It doesn’t have to be like that. 

Today on the Chill and Prosper podcast, I share how decluttering your space and mindset once and for all, can help you make more money.

Links

Ultimate Money Mindset Package
Join Money Bootcamp
Buy my books