Denise Duffield-Thomas's Blog, page 31
June 26, 2022
How to Get Over Screw-Ups in Your Business
Spoiler alert: making mistakes in business is inevitable.
How do you get back on that money-making train after a big screw up?
I’m here to talk about how to get your confidence and mojo back.
There will always be broken links. You will send out the wrong emails. You’ll annoy people. You'll get your prices wrong. That's a really big one. You'll screw up your launches. You'll screw up your marketing, and you know what? It's all okay.
It’s how you pick up the pieces that matters.
The 3 Most Common Areas to Make Mistakes in Business as an Entrepreneur
I've noticed that a lot of entrepreneurs tend to make business screw-ups in three common areas.
Boundaries
Investing in the wrong things
Pricing your products and services wrong.
It’s common for entrepreneurs to internalize these really normal problems and make it mean something about themselves, like maybe I'm not good at business, maybe it's a sign from the universe to quit.
It can be really tempting to just throw it all in and just not risk it anymore.
Before you do that, stop. Mistakes are a rite of passage and can actually be important milestones to celebrate.
If you’re feeling sick and anxious, let’s do a reframe.
Business Screw Up #1: Boundaries
We all know that we should have good boundaries with clients, but it's really easy to screw this up. Why do so many entrepreneurs have a tough time setting boundaries with clients?
Maybe you’re conditioned to be nice to people. You might be a people pleaser, who feels like a mean bitch for saying no or putting boundaries in place.
I have struggled with boundaries but without good money boundaries, clients can take advantage of you. They can drain you, even if they don't mean to. Your resentment can build, you can get burnt out, and maybe end up quitting your business.
Here are some things that I see around boundaries all the time that are really small, but they add up.
Running over allotted time with your clients. You might think that you're being generous in giving them more time and space, but it's not always the best way to serve people. It can be really overwhelming for them and for you.
Overdelivering. Maybe you let clients add more work without extra pay. This is known as scope creep. Oh, I'll just do that for them. Oh, I'll just do that for them, and then before you know it, you're super burnt out.
Being too available for your clients. Maybe people are messaging you day and night wanting your support and help.
Most of the time, these boundary problems come from a place of wanting to be generous and available, but it can have a detrimental effect on your business. You get burnt out and don’t have the bandwidth for anything else.
When you're overdelivering, you might find that you attract clients who still feel like it's never enough. They’re never happy. That sucks.
So, good boundaries are a business essential, but it takes trial and error to learn them.
What's the biggest boundary violation that's causing you stress at the moment?
Is it around invoicing? Time? Is it people paying late? What can you automate? What can you put in place? How can you teach yourself to say no?
And don't worry, I've got tons of resources including scripts to help you at the end of this post.
Setting boundaries doesn't make you mean. It's a necessary part of being in business, and it can make your business interactions feel nice and clean and clear, and your clients feel like they're being taken care of.
It's never too late to renegotiate your boundaries and fix this. Start with a thing that stresses you out the most.
Business Screw Up #2: Investing in the wrong things
This one is so painful. At the start of your business especially, you don't necessarily feel secure enough in your decision-making.
You don't know what to do. So, you jump on a course because everyone else is buying it, or you think you need a big sexy website. This is where you need discernment about where to invest your money
I see a lot of people get into trouble with this and get into a ton of debt.
It’s important to invest in your business, but making decisions out of FOMO, can lead to investment in the wrong things, things like hiring the wrong staff, taking business advice from the wrong people, or signing up for things that you don't really need.
Learning the power of discernment will save you money and it will supercharge your success because you’ll start to attract more of what you want because you're clearer.
Here's a tip for you. Before I invest in anything, I ask myself two questions. Firstly, “do I really need this right now?” just to see if I’m investing out of FOMO.
The second question I ask is “how many of my own products and services do I need to sell to make this money back?”
Maybe, you really don't need it right now, you're just getting caught up in the marketing hype, and sometimes it's not actually going to help you make money in your own business.
We've all been there. Please forgive yourself for any of those past money decisions. It doesn't mean that you shouldn't invest in your business going forward. You can just learn from it
When I make a bad investment decision, I say to myself, "Lucky we're rich". I started saying that right at the start of my business, way before I was making money because it made me laugh when I made a bad decision and it puts it into perspective.
Nothing's forever. There's always more money.
Business Screw Up #3: Undercharging
This is something that as a money mindset mentor, I can help you with. When you underprice what you do, you get burnt out because you have to serve so many people.
You feel resentful because you're giving too much and you're not receiving in return, and it can get you stuck in a scarcity cycle because you have to take on clients just for the money, and it becomes a self-fulfilling thing.
Before you get bummed out that you've made some pricing mistakes, know, that you're in charge. You're the boss. You can change your prices anytime you like. Prices are just made up. You can increase your prices however you like. There are no rules around it.
If you're getting great results, if you've got a big long waitlist and you know that you're giving more value than is reflected in your prices, you're allowed to change your prices.
You're allowed to renegotiate with clients, no matter how long you've worked with them. You're allowed to say no. You're allowed to push back and tell people that extra work is out of scope, that you'll be charging if they want it fast.
It's your business.
There are customers at every single price point. You don't have to undercharge because you're worried that nobody will work with you anymore. It's totally safe for you to charge great prices.
How does it feel to affirm that:
It's safe for me to charge good prices.
It's safe for me to increase my prices.
Pricing problems are not permanent. I've got a great resource for you at denisedt.com/increase.
Come and get your free step-by-step guide to increasing your prices with integrity and class. I’ve made it super easy for you.
How do you get your confidence back when you've made these mistakes?
There are a couple of things that you can do to instantly feel better no matter how big or small the mistake was.
Regain Confidence Step #1 Reframe your thinking
Mistakes are just part of your apprenticeship, your learning curve as an entrepreneur. You need to be able to take those risks as an entrepreneur.
So, if you've screwed up something recently, reframe it as an important rite of passage.
Everybody makes these mistakes. Perfection isn't the goal. Perfection isn't going to make you money.
Showing up consistently, trying things, telling people how you can help them even imperfectly, that's the way you make money. Not by being perfect.
Regain Confidence Step #2 Forgiveness
Forgive everybody involved, including yourself. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself chewing over it every night, at 3am for the next year. I want you to let it go. Make a conscious decision to forgive yourself.
It's important to release the resentment so you can move on.
You can cut the chords. You can burn shit if you want to. You can get as woo-woo as you like, but it's really good to let it go so it doesn't become part of who you are.
Here’s my super simple 3 step forgiveness process
Regain Confidence Step #3 Take Responsibility
If you’ve made a mistake, you have to own it. I have had people in my business make big mistakes and not tell me about it. I was way more upset about that than the mistake itself.
If you've screwed something up, admit to it, apologize and move on so you don't have to think about it anymore. Sometimes that energy can feel really gross.
If you have to apologize to your community for screwing something up, just do it. You can hide under the covers and hug your cat, but you need to release it so you can get up and do it again. It's totally fine.
Regain Confidence Step #4 Look for the Lesson
This is going to help you reframe everything. When you look for the lesson it becomes a really useful event for yourself and other people. Whenever I screw up, I think, this’ll be such a good chapter for my next book.
Everything is useful, especially if it can be a cautionary tale for other people, or you can share what you've learned.
Here’s a funny example. I recently got a ton of photos done, and I had this really cute jumpsuit with a dropped crotch. When they came back, in every single photo I look like I have this giant schlong or a saggy diaper because of the dropped crotch.
Instead of feeling upset about the waste of time, energy and money I made schlong lemonade out of those photos. I made a funny video, and I used it because there's a lesson in everything.
There's content in everything. You can write cautionary tales. You can write about it on your blog. You can share it in videos. You can make a song out of it. You can share and help other people with what you've learned. Never buy dropped crotch jumpsuits.
Everything that you have screwed up, you can learn from it, and of course, don't just make schlong lemonade.
You can do practical things, like changing up your client policies so it doesn't happen again. Change your T&Cs so it doesn't happen again. Nothing is wasted.
Nothing is forever either, and this too shall pass. You’ll come out of this so much more experienced and wise.
Even if it feels shitty right now, even if you feel bad, even if you've screwed up in ways that have hurt other people, apologize, let it go. Nothing is irreversible.
Even if you feel like you've screwed up your pricing, remember, it doesn't have to be forever.
Even if you've screwed up some boundaries, it doesn't have to be forever. It's your business. You're allowed to change anything you like. Your business, your rules.
If you’ve made any of these common mistakes about being overgenerous and not charging enough, you can increase your prices literally this week.
In my free resource, I'll give you word-for-word scripts on how to have tricky pricing conversations with your clients, plus a really simple strategy to increase your prices without freaking out, without losing all of your customers. Go to denisedt.com/increase.
I hope you feel better about your mistakes. I know you're going to remember the schlong lemonade for a long time!
Remember this, this too will pass, and it's your time, and you're ready for the next step.
xx Denise
June 20, 2022
Business Secrets of an Introvert Millionaire
Hey there,
I’m a massive introvert!
A lot of people don't believe me when I say this because I have a very successful multi-seven figure business and I show up all the time on social media.
But being an introvert isn't about lack of confidence.
Being an introvert doesn’t make you shy.
I get totally drained by being around a lot of people, and it took me such a long time to figure that out.
When I started out, I thought that the only way I could be successful was to go out and do public speaking.
A coach told me, "Make sure you are going to every networking breakfast within a three-hour radius of your house.”
Just the thought of it made me feel sick.
I had to get true to that feeling in my gut. I don't like being around a lot of people so I just didn't want to run my business like.
I'm living proof that you don't have to change your personality to be successful in business. You need to embrace who you are and find your path of least resistance.
I’m so pleased I’ve been able to stay an undercover introvert in my home town and still managed to create not only a million-dollar business, but also a huge community all around the world.
The key is to set up your business in a way that works for your personality.
Here are some ways that you can thrive in business as an introvert.
#1 Choose a business model that works for you.
Choose the marketing channels that suit your personality. If you don't like public speaking, you don't have to do it. If you don't like networking, you don't have to do it in the old-school way.
If making videos freaks you out, you don't have to do it - you could choose podcasts instead.
If you don't even like speaking, you can write so there's no need to leave the house. There's no need for makeup. There's no need to even push yourself out of your comfort zone if you don't want to.
If you don't like one-to-one work, you can do group programs or you could create a purely passive income based business.
It's your business, your rules.
It's safe for you to pick and choose what works for you.
Being visible doesn't have to be draining or daunting.
#2 Outsource strategically
If having a team feels overwhelming, you can strategically outsource and partner.
Spend money on things that make your business easier for you.
For a long time, I was the bottleneck in my business and I had to learn how to bring people into my business to support me.
For example, I hired a community manager to support me in holding space in Money Bootcamp.
Occasionally, I'll run business retreats and sometimes I'll bring in a co-host - someone who has a little bit more energy for partying than me!
#3. Take all the downtime you need
Apparently, energy levels aren't the only difference between introverts and extroverts.
Introverts' brains often take longer to switch between tasks, so we need a little bit of a buffer.
When I run a retreat or go to a conference, I need a couple of days to decompress.
As an introvert, after conferences, workshops, you need to book in one or two days to shake off the energy.
I actually did this after visiting Richard Branson's Necker Island with a group of amazing women. I rented a hotel room for the day after and I watched trash TV, ate fast food and cried.
If you've got a big launch, conference or speaking gig coming up, block out recovery time in your calendar.
#4. Batch and automate
I know I say this a lot, but it works for anyone in business. Batching and automating is such a smart way to do business - if you're doing one thing, you may as well do a million of them.
I batch a lot of social media content. When I'm in the mood, I'll sit and just make 20 of them instead of doing one at a time.
Some people are really good at the batching part, but then they don't do anything with it, so remember to batch and automate.
There are days where I just do not want to do anything or I've got a bit of a hangover from too much peopling. I just wanna kick back and play Gardenscapes (think Candy Crush, but gardens).
It's really tempting to only work on your business when you feel like it, but pretty soon you don’t have a business any longer! I set up systems that allow me to automate as much as possible so I am consistent even when I don't feel like it.
The idea is to make sure your business keeps working even when you're not feeling great. That works for introverts and extroverts.
#5. Don't hide away for too long.
I’ve watched some entrepreneurs skip their newsletter for a couple of weeks and then feel like they can't ever come back. Or they have to make a big apology.
It's okay to just jump back in.
#6. Get over your resistance to passive income.
This is a game-changer for everybody! You've got to get over your resistance to creating passive, easy income. Having ways that people can pay you, that don't involve your one-to-one time, is a dream business model for introverts.
You do the work once, you sell it over and over again, you never have to leave your house, you don't even have to put on a bra.
You don't have to interact with people beyond customer service.
It’s introvert heaven!
#7. Get known quickly.
I recommend having an extrovert wingperson with you at events but also, here’s a way to get known by the room quickly. I am always the first person to put my hand up to ask a question. I feel sick doing it.
When the speaker asks, "Anyone got a question?" I run to the front of the room or stand up, and then I go, "Oh, hi. I'm Denise Duffield-Thomas, creator of Money Bootcamp," or whatever.
I ask my question, everyone turns to look at me. I’ve just introduced myself to every single person in the room, and then for the rest of the conference, I can chill out.
I don’t have to network. I can go have a little sleep in the breaks.
#8. Do business based on your money personality
When you design and run your business based on your Money Archetype, you can leverage your strengths and make more money with more ease.
You don’t have to change your personality but you do have to use your unique gifts to make money and avoid the money challenges and sabotages that are particular to your personality type.
Not sure which of the 8 Money Archetypes you are? Take the money personality quiz here.
I’d love to hear from you if you’re an introvert and you’ve found one of these really useful. Follow me on socials @denisedt and let me know!
xx Denise
June 9, 2022
Denise on the Law of Attractrion Tribe Podcast
Recently, I sat down with Stephanie Keith on the Law of Attraction Tribe Podcast, to chat about how to chill and prosper.
June 5, 2022
Shift Your Money Mindset From Scarcity to Abundant
Does making money feel hard? Do you feel like you're stuck with a negative attitude towards money? Does it ever feel like there’s never enough to cover all the bills and expenses each month?
It may be that you’re stuck in a scarcity mindset. The glass may feel half empty right now. You're seeing lack, rather than abundance or growth. This can feel hard and so permanent. Like you’ll never be able to shift this way of thinking.
I’ve got some exciting news for you!
You can change your money mindset. In fact, you can start working on it straight away to set you on a path to abundance.
What I'm Covering Today
What is an abundant money mindset?
What is scarcity?
Scarcity vs. Abundance Mindset
How to switch from scarcity mindset to abundance mindset
How to become aware of your money mindset
How to practice gratitude
How to use affirmations
How to focus on growth
How to be a giver
How to stop comparing yourself to others
How to have an abundant mindset even when you're broke
What happens when you have an abundant money mindset
Over the last decade, I’ve worked with thousands of entrepreneurs, like you and I’ve found that there isn’t a single one of us who doesn’t need to keep working on this at every level. I still work on my money mindset every day.
The ride may not be easy (and there's always more work to do, even if you're a millionaire!) but it is possible to create an abundant mindset.
There is no limit to what you can dream, and there’s no cap on your earning potential if you’re willing to do the work necessary in your business.
What is an abundant money mindset?
An abundant mindset is one in which you believe that there is enough for everyone. You see the world as a place of limitless possibilities.
You know that you (and everyone around you) can have whatever you want. When you have an abundant mindset, money is not a source of fear or drama.
There’s enough for everyone, and we live in a world of abundance.
There’s always more money and there’s so many easy ways to make money.
Have you noticed that there's always at least more hairband if you really look for it? There's always one more coin in the bottom of your purse?
You understand that money is simply a tool that can help you achieve your goals and dreams.
If you want to learn how to create an abundant mindset, keep reading!
What is scarcity mindset?
This is a way of thinking that is characterized by the belief that there is not enough of anything to go around. People with a scarcity mindset often feel anxious and stressed, because they are always worried about losing what they have.
For me, my scarcity mindset shows up as a money block around having to work harder to make more money.
When I first started out I was doing one-to-one coaching, and I wasn’t charging very much for it. I was burned out, running session, after session, after session.
I wouldn’t even take a pee break in between clients. I wasn’t eating properly, or exercising. I was trying to squeeze as much out of my limited reserves as possible. I felt like the more work I put in, the more money I’d get out.
Now I know it doesn’t work like that.
Once I’d done some clearing work on this and launched my group programs, my mindset started to shift but I still have to do this work daily.
It’s the same old shizzle every time this money block comes up. Money can’t be easy, it has to be HAAAARD!
I’m not saying income inequality isn’t real, and that there’s no poverty in the world. But chances are, you have every opportunity to change your circumstances.
"I finally have a 6-figure business!"
I finally have a 6-figure business, in fact well over that amount already and still months to go before the end of the financial year. I'm so proud of myself! What made the difference was literally just deciding to go for it, trusting myself and being ready to receive.
Mel Larsen | Business Coach, London UK
Scarcity vs. Abundance Mindset
Take a moment to consider your money beliefs.
Are you someone who thinks that there is never enough money to go around, or are you someone who believes that there is more than enough for everyone?
Do you see possibilities and feel excitement and growth or is your mindset fixed and fear-based?
Your mindset has a huge impact on your ability to create wealth. In this blog post, I’ll show you the difference between a scarcity vs. abundance mindset, and how it can affect your finances.
And I’ll provide tips on how to change your mindset if you feel like you are stuck in a scarcity mentality.
So, how can you change your money mindset from scarcity to abundance?
Here are six simple shifts that you can make today.
Become aware of your money mindset:
The first step is always awareness. You need to become conscious of the thoughts you have about money. Then can you start to change them.
A great way to do this is by keeping a journal. For a week, write down all your money-related thoughts. You may be surprised by how often you think about money and how negative your thoughts are.
Scarcity vs abundance is such an important topic, especially when it comes to money. I know for me personally, I grew up with a scarcity mindset.
As a kid we were always in feast or famine. My mom worked three jobs to provide for me. I grew up thinking you had to work harder to make more money.
I equated putting in the hours with success (or at least, more money).
It’s taken me a long time to shift my belief that ‘making money has to be hard’.
Want to know what’s holding you back? Check out the three most common money blocks and find out whether you have any (Clue: we all do!) here.
Practice gratitude:
One of the best ways to shift your mindset is to start practicing gratitude. When you focus on what you already have, it becomes easier to see what else is out there for you.
Each day, make a list of five things you're grateful for related to money. It could be something as small as "I'm grateful for my coffee this morning" or "I had enough money to cover my rent this month".
Use affirmations:
I love affirmations. They’re such an effective tool. Basically, these are positive statements that you repeat on a regular basis.
Try:
I am allowed to make money with ease
I am allowed to be abundant
There’s always more money
"I've hit $11K two months in a row!"
That’s two months in a row I’ve hit $11k. Money came easy while I swam every morning, napped each day as I'm 46 with a non sleeping baby, and I'm able to care for my mum full-time who is unwell.
Elle Sidoli | Automation Expert, Australia
Focus on growth:
When you have a scarcity mindset, it's easy to get stuck in a rut. You feel like you can't make any progress because there's never enough money.
But when you focus on growth, it becomes easier to see opportunities for abundance. Instead of bemoaning your current situation, look for ways to improve it.
Tracking every single penny that comes into your life is a great way to focus on the growth all around you. Find my guide to tracking your income here.
Be a giver:
One of the quickest ways to shift your mindset is to get generous.
Money loves to flow.
When you give to others, it sends a powerful message to the universe that you're open to receiving.
Stop comparing yourself to others:
A scarcity mindset often leads to comparison and envy. You look at what other people have and think "Why don't I have that?" But when you focus on your own journey, it's easier to see all the progress you're making.
Even if you're broke, you can have an abundant mindset:
If you don't have a lot of money, it may seem impossible to have an abundant mindset. But it's not! The key is to focus on what you do have instead of what you don't. When you do that, abundance will start to flow into your life.
Let’s talk in more detail about how you can feel abundant when in reality you’re actually quite broke
Make a List
Okay. So sometimes you can feel broke when in reality the situation is not that bad. So the first thing I want you to do is to make a list of everything in your life that actually makes you quite rich already.
It could be that you live in a great house, that you have a great relationship, that you’ve got amazing health. Write a list of all of those things where you actually have a lot of abundance and luck already in your life.
That list will immediately make you feel better and it will give you a bit of perspective.
Track Every Cent
Tracking your money every day keeps you mindful of what’s actually going on in your life, helps you appreciate the abundance around you, and often gets your butt into gear to make more money. Find out how I record every cent and how it changed my relationship with money in my complete guide to tracking.
Switch Up Your Thoughts
When you are feeling super, super broke sometimes you can start to manifest more bills.
Have you noticed that when you really, really are desperate for business and clients, that’s when things really, really dry up?
And when you’re feeling really good about your business and super abundant, that’s when suddenly even more clients start to come in.
Here are some ways to switch up your thoughts and feelings right now in ways that don’t cost you anything.
Burn your super-luxe candles.
Use the towels that are just for guests.
Wear makeup and perfume and nice clothes that you already have that maybe you’ve been saving for a special occasion.
Do anything that you can to start feeling abundant and rich
Read one of my books to embrace more abundance
Sometimes a small, symbolic action is all you need to turn things around just by feeling more abundant.
"The investment is worthwhile"
Even if you're scared, even if you're not sure whether the investment will be worthwhile. Trust yourself, back yourself, give yourself the gift of Bootcamp and watch as you enter a whole new space of generosity, confidence, ease, and financial growth.
Jo McKee | Ads Manager, Australia
Take Action
And then lastly, once you’ve turned those thoughts around, now you’re in the position to start taking some action.
Make a list of some of the income producing activities that you can implement today and start putting them into place.
It could be that you have to chase up some clients who owe you money.
It could be that there are clients who are just sitting in your inbox wanting a proposal or asking what happens next. Maybe you’ve been procrastinating sending them the thing to ask for the money.
Or it could be that you have to think up something completely new and creative to bring that money in.
Lastly, you know, if all else fails, sell something, do anything you can to make that money come in.
You have to do the mental work first. Start with your mindset and it will be much easier to take those actions to bring that money in.
And remember, it doesn’t have to be hard. The world is an abundant place and there’s always more money.
What happens when you have an abundant money mindset?
When you change your mindset from scarcity to abundance, everything changes. You become more positive and optimistic about money.
Your relationships improve because you're no longer stressing about money all the time. And most importantly, opportunities open up for you to create the life you want.
I have a funny story.
When we bought our dream home many years ago I panicked.
During the car ride to our new property, I said to Mark, “Babe, we’re going to have to be so careful about money this year.” We had a new house to build, another baby and two mortgages and I felt like we were going to have to really tighten our belts.
He looked at me surprised. I’m usually really optimistic. But I was spooked about this big dream coming true.
I stopped holding my breath and said, “You’re right. There’s always more money.”
At that very moment, a shower of $50 notes hit the windshield: A literal cascade of money, raining down on our car like confetti.
At least one thousand dollars worth of fifty dollar bills!
Honestly, actual money hit our car!
The wipers came on automatically, and the money scattered across the road, blowing into the trees lining the highway. We were both like “Did you see that?”
We got a bit hysterical. I still couldn’t quite believe what happened, especially at the very moment I had affirmed out loud, “There’s always more money.” But I knew that it was a big message from the Universe.
Just at that moment of doubt and scarcity, the Universe decided to remind me that there’s always more money. There’s always enough.
There’s always enough money, and acquiring more of it won’t deprive others of wealth. Write this down somewhere where you can see it every single day.
The world is an abundant place - and there's always more money.
xx Denise
P.S. Want my support to move from scarcity to abundance?
One of the best things you can do to keep your mindset abundant is to surround yourself with other high-vibe successful people.
My Money Bootcamp community is an incredible collection of inspiring entrepreneurs from all over the world sharing our money goals and dreams to create abundance together.
Join Money Bootcamp today for practical money mindset strategies, membership in our abundant mastermind community and monthly group coaching with me.
Embracing an abundant mindset and committing to work on your relationship with money is the number one thing that will impact your income and business growth in the next 12 months.
It’s your time and you’re ready for the next step.
Click here to find out more and become a Money Bootcamper today.
"I have doubled my income!"
I have doubled my income. I SEE it's possible to be a multi millionaire and it's got nothing to do with my background or whatever and I can do it too.
Rifa Thorpe-Tracey | Coach, UK
"Bootcamp is my community!"
What I love about Bootcamp is the Community... having a safe space to express myself and share with other women
Arielle Loren | Entrepreneur, Florida US
"There's always more money!"
I have created an entirely new business that is being built the chillpreneur way. I am continuing to do the work daily and know there is no silver bullet but that the daily efforts will be rewarded. I love believing "there's always more money, and that I serve - I deserve and that it's my time and I'm ready for the next step.
Leslie Hirst | Enterpreneur & Nurse, US
May 31, 2022
Running a multi-million dollar business with ADHD
Hey friend,
I get asked all the time about how I run my business with ADHD.
I was diagnosed late - at the age of 42. In hindsight, I recognise that I’ve had it my whole life.
Although I did okay at school, most of the time; I always handed things in late. I’m the mistress of the last minute.
At school, I’d lose my keys, my bus pass, etc. every single day. It felt so frustrating that I couldn't just be as capable as everyone else.
University was incredibly hard for me. I failed all of my subjects except for marketing.
I began to think of myself as someone who was half-assed, who couldn't concentrate, who was crap at studying, who didn't understand the rules.
It got bleak. Read about some of the ways that I sabotaged my own success here.
ADHD is now a superpower in my business
However, as an entrepreneur, I have found ways to make my ADHD a superpower. So pull up a chair and let me tell you my secrets.
1) I’m a great improviser
Sometimes, I do videos where I press record and just talk.
I’ve run a whole three-day seminar with no preparation. I used to think that they were divine downloads. Really, it has come from a lifetime of not being prepared, not having done the homework, and having to think on my feet really, really quickly.
2) I’m calm in the face of stress
I don’t get stressed out when I’m thrown into situations. I find that's true of a lot of people with ADHD. I tend to feel really calm in situations where other people are getting stressed.
When my husband, Mark, came into my business, I really second-guessed my ability to improvise because he is a preparer. He has his slides ready three days in advance (and that's late for him!). He likes to get to the airport three hours early.
He’d ask me, “Do you know what you're talking about today, on that live call?" Under scrutiny, I started to feel unprepared and disorganized. I forgot that my approach gets results (and doesn’t stress me out!).
Anyway, he trusts my process now. He knows I can think quickly on my feet and am great at improvising.
I think, in part, it’s because I've consumed so much information over my lifetime, I can just speak from my gained knowledge. If this feels familiar to you, I say fully embrace it; don't feel ashamed that your way of working is different to others. You’ve a superpower!
3) I have fallen in love with batching
Being consistent in my business doesn’t come naturally to me. But, one of the secrets to my success as a multi-seven-figure entrepreneur is that I have been consistent.
I have sent my newsletter out every single week.
I post on social media every single day.
I have had the same program for a decade.
You might ask, “How the freak do you do that with ADHD?”
I know a lot of entrepreneurs who’ve gotten bored or distracted by shiny objects. They don't feel like posting, so they don't. They feel like it would be disingenuous to pre-post things etc. etc.
I leverage the crap out of the days when my hair and make-up are done. I get as many videos done as I can. I’ll book a session, get ready and then film as much as possible.
I batch my social media too; one or two days a month, I get a big burst of inspiration, so I create content for all my accounts in one go. If I posted when I felt like it, you’d see nothing from me for ages and ages, then 50 posts all in one day.
It’s important to realise that batching and scheduling things isn’t cheating or inauthentic. When I create content, it's real at that moment.
Batching and creating consistency are absolutely possible, even if you are someone who struggles with it. Your business can be consistent. You don't have to be.
4) I hired a team
To support me in my zone of genius, I got strategic about hiring a team. When I first started out as an entrepreneur, I hired people and then I was too disorganized to give them tasks. And I ended up feeling really guilty about that.
My solution has been to hire people for small amounts of time each week and to be really clear that I’ve chosen the right person.
You could hire a virtual assistant, for example, who does similar jobs for a lot of other entrepreneurs. It’s more affordable that way; they work a couple of hours or so, each week, on your business.
If you've been resisting hiring, let me give you another reason why it works! I’ve found that having a team has really helped with accountability.
If you’re not a completer-finisher, and your course isn't ready, or your book's not quite done, having someone to work on editing it, will give you the motivation to JUST GET IT DONE!
If you’re like me, you might be great at starting stuff. And not so great at finishing it! Are you the one who always comes up with brilliant ideas and brings excitement?
Don't feel bad about not being a completer-finisher. There are plenty of people in the world who are really good at finishing things, but not good at starting them.
So, create a team around you that’s a match made in heaven. You can get it to a certain point and hand it over to someone else to finish it!
5) I outsource a lot of stuff at home
If I had to make everyone breakfast, or do all the laundry at home, that would take up so much of my energy that I would never have time to make videos, make content or coach people in my Money Bootcamp.
The one time I did try and do all our laundry, I got hyper-focused on it, and I started obsessing.
What's the best way to do this laundry?
What's the best way to separate out the colors?
What's the best way to hang it so it dries optimally?
And it took up so much mental bandwidth that I did nothing in my business.
One of my biggest tips for success is to outsource. Outsource anything and everything - laundry to web design! Food prep to email marketing! Choose the biggest stressors and hand them over to someone else.
You might not outsource in your business straight away, but getting someone else to focus on household tasks could free up lots of mental bandwidth for you to work on your business.
Choose the tasks that prevent you from getting in the flow and doing your revenue-generating actions.
Read here to find out exactly how much help I have at home: LINK
Bonus tip: Grab my list of self-care strategies that you can easily implement today.
Five Ways to be Successful in Business When you Have ADHD
So, let’s recap: what are the five key things to being successful in business, with ADHD?
Embrace your ability to improvise
Recognise (and use to your advantage) how calm you are in the face of stressful situations
Batch all your tasks so you can remain consistent in your business
Hire a team (or a VA, for a couple of hours a week) to help you stay on track and get things done.
Outsource as many tasks as possible. Start with household jobs and as you get better at delegating, move on to business tasks.
To finish, I want to share with you an affirmation that I use, to keep me on track.
My affirmation is: All Roads Lead to Bootcamp.
I've been running Money Bootcamp for over 10 years and sometimes I do want to chuck it in and create something new because I’m craving that dopamine rush, the excitement that making something fresh brings.
But instead, I repeat my affirmation and remind myself that all roads lead to Bootcamp, which gives me so much freedom to create other goodies!
I might write a book that leads into Money Bootcamp. I may choose to create a freebie. Write an article. Record a video. It all leads to Money Bootcamp.
The key here is not to mess with your backend.
If you’re constantly tinkering, you may not be getting enough people to even see what you do.
For me, when I focus on all roads leading to Bootcamp, I have all this creative freedom to get as crazy and wild and distracted as I like with other projects, but without breaking my business. This is so, so important!
So, know you can crush your business goals, whether you are blessed with neurodiversity or not.
You’ve got this!
Denise xx
P.S. You know how all roads lead to Bootcamp?!
Well, here we are! Click here to join us on a journey of a lifetime – you’ll bust through all your money blocks, release self-limiting beliefs and have all the tools and the support to get you to the next level and beyond in your business. Come and join us!
May 12, 2022
How to Clear Your Money Blocks
Is money flowing easily for you right now or do you feel like you’re somehow blocking it?
On the surface you might think, of course, I want to make more money – why would I be blocking it?
The truth is that most of us have inner mindset blocks that actively stop us making money.
The bad news is that you can never entirely get rid of them. They’re with you for life. That’s why you have to be vigilant and constantly work on them.
The good news is that it gets easier as you get more practiced at dealing with them.
And you can make money whilst you’re working on your money blocks.
So let’s get started!
What Is a Money Block?
A money block is “anything that holds you back from making the money you want.” This is usually an underlying belief or fear about money. You may not be aware of it, but it’s there.
Sometimes it’s a completely hidden story that sabotages you in sneaky ways.
For example, plenty of entrepreneurs tell themselves that they aren’t good at business, or that they aren’t meant to be rich.
It’s way too easy to think that you don’t make enough money because of external factors. Your clients are broke, the economy, Mercury Retrograde, etc.
Yes, these events can all play a part in how much you earn but it’s all too easy to use them as excuses for not getting ahead.
There’s a way to overcome, even seemingly insurmountable issues.
For example…
If you think that your clients “can’t afford” your current rates, try uplevelling your marketing to make your value clearer (or just find a new target market that’s more aligned with your pricing).
If “the economy sucks right now,” you could create an affordable group program that lets you get paid multiple times for the same amount of work.
If you’re “too busy” to create passive income products, you could raise your prices to take on fewer clients, and maybe hire some help to free up time too.
See? Those external factors might be 100% real, but the idea that they control what you earn is just a money block.
How do you know if you have money blocks?
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say, “Trust me. You have them.”
Why am I so sure of that? Because everyone does.
I don’t know a single entrepreneur – even the mega-successful, zillionaire ones – who don’t still deal with some form of money block. And yep, that totally includes me, even though I teach this stuff.
Check out my video on identifying your most common money block here.
Shifting your blocks isn’t a one-time thing.
In fact, every time you hit a new level in your business, you’re going to see the same freaking money blocks crop up. The good news is that you’ll start to recognize them – and deal with them – much more quickly each time.
Meanwhile, I want you to really get this idea. If you want more money, and it’s just not coming, my 99.9% certain diagnosis is “money blocks.”
The good news is that you can have money blocks but not let it derail you.
Why do we have money blocks?
Many people have an underlying fear that it’s not safe to be rich or successful (or both). Deep down, you probably have stories about how more money will lead to some negative outcomes.
That’s weird, right? On the surface, you think you want to make more… but then you have these conflicting feelings inside.
So really, it’s a protective mechanism that we think will save us from some perceived harm.
Specific money block examples
Most people have pretty similar money blocks. Honestly, you might think your situation is unique, but it’s probably not.
Here are some of the most common ones – see how many of them ring a bell for you:
“I’m just not meant to be rich.” (Sometimes this shows up as, “My family wasn’t rich, so I can’t be either.”)
“Making money has to be hard.” (OMG, this is my biggest recurring one!)
“It’s obscene to make heaps of money when other people don’t have enough.”
“I just want to help people. I don’t care about the money.”
“Rich people are greedy and selfish.”
“People will stop loving me if I have too much money.”
“My partner/parents/friends will freak out if I earn more than them.”
“It’s more important to be happy than be rich.”
Once you know your particular money block, you can keep an eye out for how it sabotages you.
For example – take the really common “I have to work hard to make money” one.
If you have this block, you’ll probably find that you actively sabotage yourself to make it a self-fulfilling prophecy.
You might resist delegating so you have to do everything yourself, or you’ll procrastinate so you have to pull all-nighters to finish your work.
But when you catch yourself doing these destructive behaviors, you can stop in the moment and remember that it’s just your money blocks. You can control how you act in those situations.
Let’s take a look at some of the money blocks I see every day.
Common Money Blocks
It’s really common for our money blocks to show up in business. So how might they be stopping the flow of abundance into your business? And most importantly, how can we fix them?
I’ve a video on the 3 money blocks that stop you from receiving what you deserve. Fix these leaks and you can expect more money, easier flow in your business and a renewed joy in your work. Watch here.
Fix these three leaks and you can expect more money, easier flow in your business and a renewed joy in your work.
Money Blocks and Self Worth
Ever struggle with over-giving? Or keeping yourself hidden? Lack of self-worth is a common money block.
You might have these concerns: “Am I worth it? Am I enough? Did I do enough?”
You might find yourself overcompensating and putting more and more into your products and programs.
This is a huge one. You might be thinking, “This is not enough. I have to give more. I have to give more bonuses!”
Or you might not even allow people to buy from you.
It breaks my heart this one; often the entrepreneurs who do this are the ones providing really beautiful services and really gorgeous products that the world needs.
It’s kinda like hoarding your gifts when you don’t allow people to buy.
If you're a healer or a creative, for example, who started your business to make the world a better place, this is something to watch out for. You can be so caught up being of service that you forget that you're actually running a business.
So, for example, you run a big free networking group and everyone else is selling their wares there. But you never actually tell people how they can work with you further.
Maybe you do something like offer free tarot readings or astrology, but you never tell people how they can buy a full personalized paid reading with you.
I don't want you to be broke. Money is energy and it needs to both be given and received in equal measure. You can do both!
Making money and helping people are not mutually exclusive. Of course, you can provide a ton of awesome free content for people, but make sure you encourage people to take the next step to work with you further and give you money.
Some will sign up, others won't. It’s all okay, but you have to make the offer in order for money to flow.
Here's the fix. Create some clear specific offers.
If you're making this mistake in your business, the answer is really simple. You don't have to overcomplicate it. Just create a clear offer to let people know exactly how you can help them and how to book.
Here are some ideas for you.
If you've got a services page on your website, make it really obvious. Get the info into your navigation bar. ‘Work with me’ or ‘book here’, for example. Don't hide what you do, or make people work for it.
Every time you send a newsletter, or post on social media, tell people the next step. Give them a clear call to action. Tell them this is how to work with me.
Another idea is to create a really simple passive income product like an audio or an ebook. That way there's something to buy on your website all the time. Even if it's small and low cost.
So my advice today?! Go finish that course that you've got on your computer and launch it. And I know it can be hard. I’ve procrastinated on this many times as well!
Money Blocks and Self-Sabotage
Self-sabotage is an interesting money block that shows up all too often. Broken payment links? Procrastinating launching your product? Self-sabotage!
You’re blocking the flow of money into your business by making it difficult for people to actually pay you.
So, you've made a link, you've got something for people to buy. But money needs a practical mechanism to actually get to you. And you need a way for people to actually give you money.
Don't get caught up in finding the perfect system and don't spend hours trying to find methods with lower fees. I’m afraid fees are just a cost of doing business.
I hear a lot of entrepreneurs getting annoyed about the idea of having to pay credit card transaction fees, but this is just a cost of doing business and making it easy for people to pay you.
Here’s the fix - set up your payment accounts and make it really easy for people to pay you.
Maybe you make an upgrade and get your clients to pay you upfront so you don't have to invoice them and chase them.
Maybe you need to set up PayPal or link credit card systems to your invoicing system.
You might be resistant, but you have to make it easier for people to give you money.
Money Blocks and Perception
You need to work on your money mindset every day.
This is probably the biggest way that you are blocking the flow of money right now. You need to make money mindset a priority in your business.
If you've read any of my books, for example, Chill and Prosper, you know that your money mindset work is never done. Money blocks will come up again and again in your business journey, pretty much every time you hit a new level.
I see way too many people do a little mindset work and then think they’re all done and they’ve fixed their money blocks for good.
It doesn’t work like that, folks. There's always more mindset work to do. Mindset work isn't just for Christmas. It’s forever. Like a puppy! You can work on it every day for the rest of your life.
Most of the successful people I know prioritize mindset, in the same way they do strategy and marketing.
Here’s the fix – make time for your money mindset work
I really recommend you invest as much time working on your mindset as you do anything else.
I want you to block out regular time each week to look at your money blocks and work out what you need to do to go to the next level. I promise a clear mindset will help the money flow into your business.
Let's get that money flowing.
3 Ways Money Blocks Are Killing Your Business
It’s true that money blocks can completely derail a business. I’ve seen entrepreneurs throw in the towel because of a particularly sticky one.
I know that sounds super serious and dramatic.
But don’t worry. I’ve got lots of solutions for you so you can get back on the money manifesting train.
Money Block #1: Making Money Has to be Hard
Now the first way that money blocks might be showing up for you and killing your business right now is really where you’re freaking tired and overwhelmed, and you’re burned out.
It’s really sad when people contact me and they’re ready to chuck in their business because they’re working so hard, they’re trying to help people, but they just can’t afford to keep it going.
I know what that feels like. It makes you stressed out, resentful, and also completely burned out.
Now when you deal with your money blocks and actually allow yourself to charge beautifully for what you do, it’s going to give you that emotional and physical bandwidth to create a whole bunch more stuff that can help a lot more people.
But when you’re burning yourself out, you have nothing extra to give.
Let me give you an example.
Back in the day, when I was doing one-to-one coaching, and I wasn’t charging very much for it, I was just always so burned out. I was getting really tired. I would have session, after session, after session.
I wouldn’t even take a pee break in between clients. I was just getting to the stage where I couldn’t see how I could continue that for very long.
I wasn’t sleeping well, I was worried about money and it just didn’t feel like the work was ever going to be enough.
Now if this is you, this is a really crucial time to deal with your money blocks and get over feeling like you can’t charge well for what you do.
Or, you actually even feel bad about charging people altogether. Now, I know what it’s like when you want to help people, right?
I used to get people contacting me all the time wanting to do my Money Bootcamp course but not being able to afford it.
I would feel terrible and helpless. But also resentful and burned out.
I had no time, but I thought, “If I just maybe set some boundaries with some of my clients, I’d have some time to create a book about money.”
I wrote my first book and was able to direct people to it if they weren’t ready for Bootcamp.
Yes, it took time and energy to create, but my book gave me an avenue to help people who needed it. And that really helped with that burnout feeling.
Money Block #2: I Can’t Help People and Make Money
You might be attracting the kind of people who really stress you out, and make you just want to throw everything in.
And, by the way, we have all been there.
That sense of, “Oh, my bank account’s kind of empty and I’ve taken on a client that I know I shouldn’t have. I ignored all the red flags.”
And then suddenly you’re working with someone who’s a complete pain in the butt and you feel trapped and paralyzed. Maybe you’ve even taken on work that’s not even in your zone of genius because you needed the money.
So again, when you deal with your money stuff and you charge beautifully for what you do, then you actually attract the right kind of clients.
You attract people who really respect your time and energy, and are genuinely much easier to work with.
Money Block #3: Being Afraid of Success and Visibility
When you’re stressing out about money, you’re not receiving money in the first place, and it’s just not giving you the energy to really live up to your full potential.
And when I say, “small life,” it’s not about buying the most amount of stuff or being the richest.
But when you’re not receiving money for what you do, you’re not creating that life of freedom, adventure, abundance, and all the things that you’re meant to do here in the world.
I believe that entrepreneurs have a moral imperative to make good money because the world needs us. The way we spend our money can create amazing things in the world.
Who do you want to have more money in the world?
Greedy bankers, who have completely ruined everything, or amazing entrepreneurs like you and I who can do great things in the world? It’s a no-brainer.
So there it is, the three ways that money blocks are really killing your business right now.
Total burnout and overwhelm
Attracting the wrong clients
Not living up to your full potential.
When you know your block and you know your sabotage, you’re going to be able to recognize it and let it go. Then you can move on and really create that first class life and business that you’ve been really wanting. You can’t let your money blocks derail you anymore.
How to Clear Your Money Blocks
Because I teach money blocks, people assume I have a perfect relationship with money. Nope, not at all.
In my experience, talking to entrepreneurs, at all levels, about their success, money blocks are an inevitable part of being in business.
Not even millionaires and multi-millionaires are immune to the occasional freak out about money, and if they are growing rapidly, they will hit their own self-imposed limits regularly.
Perfectionism is not the goal. You’re not working towards a complete absence of money blocks. You have to learn to move through them regardless and KEEP moving forward.
Your personal blend of sabotage will pop his head up regularly. New Level, Old Devil, as I like to say.
Mine comes around every six months or so; every time I hit a new income plateau. Even though I teach money blocks, I still don’t have a perfect relationship with money.
Even though I have a multiple seven-figure business, I’m still not immune to money crap. I’m sure that I’ll freak out when I get close to a billion-dollar business because of recurring money blocks.
The difference now, of course, is that I can get out of it much quicker. I don’t have to wallow in misery and spiral out of control.
If you’re just starting out – you might think I’m wrong. You might be thinking that once you get to seven figures, your life will be perfect. YOU will be perfect. Nope. You’ll still be YOU – just with a bit more money!
Interesting huh?
So, have a think about YOUR recurring money blocks and what they might mean.
Here are seven ways to shift your money mindset and work on your money blocks
Cultivate Awareness
Write down your biggest money blocks and then go through the list, taking time with each one and asking yourself, ‘Is this really true?’ Most likely you’ll discover a lot of self-sabotage hiding out in that list!
Book out regular time each week to look at your money blocks and assess whether they are really true or not. Focusing on this regularly will help you get to the next level more quickly and easily.
Some people find that just identifying a money block is enough to dissolve it. It’s awesome when that happens… but some blocks can be a LOT more stubborn than others.
Find Your Sabotage
Hunt down any sabotaging behaviors. Notice where you’re hiding away or feeling guilty. Look for a tendency to procrastinate launching or otherwise sabotage your success.
Add a mindset expert to your team, including working with someone like me to release your money blocks.
It's totally okay to pay for that kind of help. In fact, I think it's super important.
Uncover The Origin Story and Break The Pattern
I teach a really simple OCP process in Money Bootcamp.
Here’s how to use it: Seek out an Origin Story, Connect it to a Sabotage and use a Pattern Interrupt to break through the limiting belief.
Here’s a really common example that could be holding you back:
ORIGIN STORY
Money doesn’t grow on trees
CONNECT TO SABOTAGE
You resist easy money – like creating passive income
PATTERN INTERRUPT
Why not me? Watching other people succeed easily is a great pattern interrupt for this particular money block. Surround yourself with inspiring people in groups and masterminds, on your socials.
Read how I deal with the fear of business every day and the work I do to interrupt this pattern here
Sign Up For My Free Money Blocks Workshop
If you struggle with a block that just refuses to shift, no matter how much work you put into it, I have the perfect solution. (And it’s totally free!)
A while ago, I created a free audio class to help entrepreneurs clear their money blocks. It’ll walk you step-by-step through recognizing – and then dealing with – the seven most common entrepreneurial money blocks.
You can get it free today from denisedt.com/blocks
Get a Money Blocks Planner
It’s really common for money blocks to show up around goal setting. Maybe you feel like you’re not doing it right. You’re scared of committing to a number in case you get it wrong?
If you feel like setting a goal is too hard right now, or you’ve set one and can’t believe you’ll make it, then you’ve probably hit some money mindset blocks.
Clearing money blocks is honestly the fastest way, not only to increase your income, but to expand your belief of what’s even possible for you.
Get your free Goal Setting Worksheet here to get clear on your target and the money blocks holding you back.
Join Money Bootcamp
Ready to break through your particular money blocks and release the fear that’s holding you back?
Join my Money Bootcamp today - it’s a game-changing money mindset course and a super supportive community of inspiring entrepreneurs.
You’ll get to work with me as your money mindset mentor and dive deeper into clearing your money blocks.
Your first step in creating a life of financial freedom.
Listen to one of my most popular podcast episodes
In this episode, I talk about how your money blocks are holding you back.
The fact is that you have to deal with your money blocks. Otherwise, you will continually burn out. You will overdeliver. You will hold yourself back again and again.
In this podcast, I share some vital tools to help you break through the most common money blocks.
You’ll learn how to
Work through your family money stories, even if they feel deeply ingrained
Why you need to stop over-delivering (and simple strategies to use)
My top tips for dealing with the guilt of earning money easily
How to do ‘the chilled hustle’!
The secrets of my recent million-dollar launch and how you can replicate my exact steps
What Happens When You Release Your Money Blocks?
As I said, it's ongoing work but clearing money blocks can help you get closer to that First Class life you’ve been dreaming of.
I’ve had to do a lot of work myself.
My recurring money block is: “Making money can’t be easy. It has to be hard work”.
Way back when, this money block came up for me when I started charging my first clients.
I had given away a bunch of sessions in return for testimonials, but I knew that I had to start making actual MONEY if I wanted to make it work, and my husband was starting to make noises about me getting “a backup job…. just in case this doesn’t work out”.
So, I pulled up my big girl panties and charged a package of six sessions for $45 each. Nothing ground-breaking but it felt comfortable for me.
Immediately, I had this feeling of,
“Can I really just help people with their problems and they’ll pay me? That seems too easy.”
It felt icky. Uncomfortable. Unseemly.
I come from a family where people WORK for a living. You know – they clean things, build things, make stuff, organize people or you know …. other “real jobs”.
This didn’t seem like a real job. It felt too easy and the fact is I get a lot of pleasure out of helping people. After my first session with a client, I had this amazing feeling of “THIS is what I’m meant to be doing!”.
But anyway – I did some money clearing work on it – and soon was loving my client load (and the money I earned).
I increased my prices quite rapidly over the next year without too much drama and honestly, I thought my income would just keep going up forever.
Then it came up again. I hit a new plateau and NOTHING would shift it.
Are you serious Universe – I thought we cleared this sh-t!
This time it was when I created my first ever group program. Instead of working with people 1:1, I decided to teach everything I knew in a six-week online course.
Instead of teaching individual sessions, I cut my workload drastically but still made great money by grouping clients together. The members LOVED it and it was cheaper for them than working with me 1:1.
It felt like cheating. I felt terrible about it.
It was the same old shizzle. My old block that money couldn’t be easy, it had to be HAAAARD.
But again, using the tools, which I talk about in my book Get Rich, Lucky Bitch and you can learn in my money mindset training program, Money Bootcamp, I worked on those feelings and my income started rising again.
Until the next time.
The first time I ran my Money Bootcamp, it was a big old stress. I pulled all-nighters getting the sales page together, I was still creating handouts minutes before I sent them out and I got VERY little sleep during the sales period. I’m sure you’ve been there!
But because it was so much work, I felt like I really “earned” the money. After all, I lost sleep over it! I sweated over it almost like a “real job”!
So – when I turned the course into a home study version, suddenly, it wasn’t that much work.
Everything was already created so it felt like cheating again to make money out of something that didn’t require a lot of blood, sweat and tears. I knew the material was great and the results were still phenomenal… but it felt too easy for me.
Every time someone bought the Bootcamp, I felt like screaming, “Wait!! Let me come over to your house, and I’ll help you open it and do the exercises. Let me “earn” your sale”.
It was my old friend – my own personal money sabotage.
Let me tell you, it’s not that big a deal to start clearing this stuff – especially when you have the support of a mastermind, but it always feels rough to begin with.
The same old feelings…
– This is too easy
– How can I make money when it’s not hard?
You might get these feelings when you make your first eBook sale or when you’re working on your sales page (with the dream of passive income dancing in your head). It’s probably why you procrastinate and sabotage your success EVEN THOUGH you’re getting what you’ve always wanted.
Money blocks don’t have to derail you - you can embrace them and move on to creating a First-Class life for you and your family.
Here some of the members of my money mindset program and community, Money Bootcamp, share their stories and how they’ve overcome their sabotages.
I literally make money in my sleep.
Leah Toth runs a manifestation journal brand and since joining Money Bootcamp, she has overcome so many money blocks that she makes money in her sleep.
“I joined Money Bootcamp in January this year and I'm so glad I did. I really do wish I did it earlier, I was on the fence for a really long time, but it's just really changed my perspective and the way I sort of structure my business.
I run an e-commerce store and I sell physical manifestation journals. But since joining the program, I now have a digital version of the same journal that I have as a passive product. So now, I literally make money in my sleep.
I wake up in the morning and I have orders that I didn't need to do anything for. And it's just, it blows my mind still. Leah from 12 months ago just wouldn't have been okay with that and wouldn't have even known that that was a thing.
So, I totally recommend getting in the group, the Facebook group attached to it is just out of this world. I've never had so many amazing women in one space that you can just learn off. So yeah, get in the group as quickly as you can.”
I barely dared to dream of this level of success!
Tracey Rampling Brown worked through her money blocks in my Money Bootcamp program and has more aligned clients who pay her more money to work less!
“I'm showing up as a business owner who knows what she's worth. No more undercharging.
As a result, I'm signing better quality soul clients who are happy to pay me - even signing clients who are paying 4 figure investments to work with me in full, which is something I barely dared to dream before Money Bootcamp.”
Money Bootcamp has changed my life!
Tara Wilkin is a wellbeing coach and author who has worked through so many money blocks that were holding her back, including charging clients for her work.
“I joined Money Bootcamp in 2020, and I'm so glad I did. I had so many blocks around even charging for my services. And surprisingly, I had a lot of family beliefs and money block issues that were also preventing me from charging for my I services.
I really am appreciative of Denise and the Money Bootcamp Community. Money Bootcamp really has changed how I think about my finances for my business, but more importantly, for my life. Sign up for Money Bootcamp as soon as you can. It's worth the investment.”
Conclusion
So, yes, you’re always going to have money blocks.
The good news is you get better and better at dealing with them.
We’ve covered the most common money blocks and how to identify them, we’ve looked at how money blocks might be holding you back in business and my top tips for clearing them.
You might be wondering about your particular money block.
I’ve got a really easy resource to figure that out, which you can find at DeniseDT.com/blocks
Figure out which money block you’re suffering from at the moment and where it comes from.
What belief is behind it?
Once you know it, you can clear it.
Next time it comes up, you’ll be able to recognize it and give it the flick much quicker so you can move on and really create that First-Class life and business that you’ve really been wanting.
It’s your time and you’re ready for the next step,
xx Denise
Want to uplevel with epic community support and plenty of tools and techniques to make it easy? Join my Money Bootcamp course today – you’ll learn how to spot a money block at a hundred paces, and exactly what to do to work through it.
May 9, 2022
How to Create and Sell Your First Online Course
Hey gorgeous,
So you’re thinking about creating an online course?
YAY, great choice. I’ve got some tried and tested secrets to share with you on creating a profitable course from scratch.
There has never been a better time to be an online entrepreneur. The tools we have available to us are pretty amazing (and cheap) and make an online business so achievable. You can teach what you know to people all around the world, and get paid well for it too.
But before you jump in, I’ve got some advice and cautionary tales for you, because trust me, it’s an … interesting journey. There are very low barriers to entry but it’s not “effortless”. It takes a lot of work and courage.
Creating Passive Income in a Million Dollar Business
But obviously I’m a huge advocate, because courses form the bulk of my multi-million dollar business.
There’s nothing more satisfying than being able to reach and support a global audience without leaving your house (and often without even putting on a bra!).
Creating my money mindset course – Money Bootcamp was a game-changer for my business. Years ago, I reached six figures from private coaching. I knew that I had hit a plateau with my time and energy. Maybe you’re feeling the same?
Back then, I was coaching from the crack of dawn to midnight to accommodate global time zones. The idea of working twice as hard to double my income made me want to cry.
Does this resonate?
Have you reached the limit of your personal capacity and you want to start leveraging your time?
You can do this gorgeous! It’s time to create passive income in your business.
For me, when I found myself coaching clients in my dreams, I knew I’d reached a crucial need for upgrade!
It was time to create a course, and get some of that sweet passive income action. Plus, I figured if I ever wanted to take a vacation, I’d need another way to make money that didn’t require my personal time and attention.
Want to get started with a course but unsure about the tech? After trying multiple systems and expensive websites over the years, I now host my all of email, website and my course in one easy to use and cost effective place - Kajabi!
I love the simplicity and power of having everything in one place. If you want to get started and are unsure which system to use, then I highly recommend Kajabi - and they have a special offer this month to get 5 weeks for $5.
Plus there’s free training on setting up your business and course online in only 5 minutes a day. Click here for my affiliate link to check out this special and get started.
Dealing with Resistance and Money Blocks Around Passive Income
I was rapidly turning into a workaholic, but I’ll be honest, I had a lot of resistance to creating a course, and maybe you do too.
It’s really common to feel a mix of longing and apprehension. Creating a course seems to bring up a lot of “stuff” for entrepreneurs. Creating a passive income stream will probably bring up all your old money blocks. You’ll take procrastination to new heights!
Lots of people START out creating a course, but very few actually take one to market.
Here’s the good news – your first course doesn’t have to be a masterpiece. Nobody starts out with thousands of participants – and trust me – it would cause havoc if you did!
There’s a reason why most of us experience gradual growth – organic growth helps us uplevel our mindset and systems at each stage of the journey.
In course creation, there’s definitely a lot of tech know-how, set up costs and planning involved – not to mention the learning curve while you’re delivering it.
Oh, and don’t forget the customer service. You’ll receive emails about password resets (often multiple times from the same people), tech issues will crop up where people can’t see the videos or don’t know how to download something properly.
If you don’t have the capacity for that (for example, an assistant) then it can quickly become a nightmare. Believe me – it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve checked and re-checked everything, people will find typos (and they’ll let you know!)
So, it’s okay to start small, and grow from there as long as you START.
My very first group course had 4 people in it. We had audio and PDF assignments every week, live coaching calls and a Facebook group.
There was a huge, steep learning curve to get to the point now where I have 10,000 people in my courses.
That doesn’t happen overnight!
CREATING YOUR OWN PASSIVE INCOME STREAM FROM SCRATCH
So – should YOU focus on creating a course or doing 1:1 work with clients right now?
My advice varies depending on where you are in business right now. Select the stage you’re at below.
1) Advice for New Entrepreneurs on Creating a Course
If you have a really small list and you aren’t earning much money yet, then it can be tricky to create a course and make immediate money out of it. Sure, you CAN work on a course, but who are you going to sell it to?
It’s disheartening for new entrepreneurs to realize that a normal sales page conversion is 1%. You could spend lots of time and energy creating a course, but then feel like quitting when nobody buys it.
There’s nothing more tragic than feeling like a failure, when it’s not YOU, it’s the reality of playing a numbers game. (I’m not saying that your clients are numbers, it’s just that it’s not personal that people aren’t buying. You can’t overcome statistics with passion – that’s just one part of it.)
When people tell me that they’ve poured their heart and soul into something, and then are devastated that it “failed” – I know that they’ve missed a fundamental part of being in business. An amazing product is paramount – but you have to have people to SELL it to.
Honestly, it’s not just list size. You might not have a good, viable idea yet, or you’re really in a practice business while you figure out your true calling.
Maybe you don’t have any idea what your clients really want, you haven’t nailed your niche down and the learning curve is super high, so you keep getting stumped on small tech things because you’re learning it all yourself.
Oh yeah, I’ve been there. Googling code at 3am is no fun!
So should you create a course if your business is really just starting? I’m not saying no – I’d just have extremely realistic expectations about the amount of work it will take, and when it will start earning money.
It’s not a get rich quick project. Sure, there are people in business who have done it super quick, and it’s usually because they’ve moved through the procrastination and resistance quickly and have been willing to invest money (like for example in Facebook ads) before they reap the reward.
So be honest – do you have a big enough network to sell it to?
When you’re starting out in business, focus on:
List building, low hanging fruit, getting experience
At this stage, you’re better off creating a few free resources so you can grow your list. These people are your future course participants.
For example – run free webinars on topics that interest your potential audience – you can always repurpose them later for free opt-ins.
Honestly, it doesn’t matter if hardly anyone attends these live. The purpose is to PRACTICE. Get used to the technical hurdles, get used to talking about your topic, nail a few talking points.
Also – get more clients, even if they’re free or in exchange for testimonials. Start building your tools and techniques with real people, this will form the basis for your paid course in the future, and you’ll have a better understanding of their problems and frequently asked questions.
2) Advice for More Experienced Entrepreneurs on Creating a Course
By now your list size is growing, and you probably have a solid idea about your strengths and offerings as an entrepreneur. You don’t have to have a perfect niche but it’s pretty clear what you can help people with.
Now it can be hard to find the time to create a course when you’re busy being IN your business, servicing clients or doing “done for you”, but this is a short time sacrifice for potentially large rewards.
If you’re running out of time because you’re getting booked out or you’ve hit a natural income ceiling, then you have two choices.
Drastically raise your prices, or
Create passive income sources.
If you opt for number one but feel scared about raising prices, I’ve some advice for you here.
If you know that doing 1:1 work isn’t necessarily your zone of genius long term, then passive income is the way to go.
Start Planning Your Online Course
So start planning out your course now. You’re never going to have the spare time unless you suck it up, and create it for the future.
Then as your course income increases, you can cut back on the 1:1 work or raise your prices without worrying that you’ll lose all your clients.
You might also be tempted to write a book as a passive income source, but trust me, it’s probably quicker to create a course than to write a whole book (unless you’re a super-fast writer), and you can charge a lot more for a course!
For example – it took me around 9 months to write each of my two books – and I can only charge around $10-15 for them. You can create a course in much less time and charge hundreds or thousands of dollars for it.
When you’re ready I recommend checking out Kajabi for an easy to use tech solution to host your business and course. Click here to a 30-day free trial via my affiliate link
When you’re more experienced in your business and industry, focus on:
Capturing your knowledge, leveraging your current resources, carving out time to make it happen
Dip your feet in by creating a small course – it doesn’t have to be heavily involved or complicated. If you’re feeling brave, you can sell the course and create it as you develop it.
Lots of people freak out about that, but as long as you have an outline, with very clear outcomes and you’re confident in your material, you can tweak things in real time as your participants are going through it. (Only do this if you’re willing to completely clear your calendar, and potentially have a few late nights!)
An alternative is to run a group coaching course, teaching a small-medium sized group with the tools and techniques you’d usually share with your 1:1 clients.
If you add lots of interactive elements like live group coaching and Q&A sessions, you can repurpose these for later when the course is more involved.
Should you run a Beta course first?
I don’t always recommend running a Beta course. For one, the name itself implies that you don’t know what you’re doing, and your customers are usually in critique mode rather than participant mode.
Most people don’t set up a really stringent process for getting testimonials, so often don’t really get anything out of it anyway.
I recommend offering a first course at an “Introductory rate” instead of running a Beta version, so you get real clients, but a cheaper intro rate can take the pressure off somewhat.
Each time you run the course, you can improve it using the feedback you gain from participants. You’ll learn more about the problems your clients are facing, and you’ll be able to build a bank of resources like FAQs and tools to improve the course further.
My Money Bootcamp has been through major renovations every 2 years and keeps getting better.
My biggest advice is not to start new courses all the time – refine what you know and get really well known for it.
The focus can be a hard discipline for creative entrepreneurs but you can innovate around the core course curriculum and keep it interesting and fresh for your squirrel brain!
Take the First Steps in Creating an Online Course
You need to do an inventory of all your knowledge, tools, techniques and resources. Get it ALL down! Then sort this into a 6-8 week curriculum.
Don’t jam too much information in or you’ll overwhelm your participants.
Then figure out how you’re going to present it – over video, audio, live classes, etc.
Map out everything you need to create and tick it off. You’ll also need a marketing/launch plan.
FIVE STEPS TO CREATING AN ONLINE COURSE
Here’s the five stages of creating your own passive income stream.
Do an inventory of everything you know and teach
Sort this knowledge into a 6-8 week curriculum
Decide on presentation method
Plan a marketing/launch campaign
Deal with the money blocks that are going to come up around creating passive income
Obviously, there is a lot to think about, and I’d really recommend finding a mentor to help. If mindset, pricing and giving yourself permission to succeed is what you need, then come join us in Bootcamp.
My ultimate advice is to just do it!
Affirm to yourself:
Within the next year, I will get all the valuable info out of my head and into the hands of the people who need and want it - my potential customers.
It’s your time and you’re ready for the next step.
xx Denise
April 26, 2022
Denise on the Was It Chance? Podcast
Recently, I sat down with Heather Vickery and Alan Seales from the Was it Chance? podcast to chat about all things money mindset.
Episode Takeaways
Be willing to try things and then adjust rather than waiting for things to be perfect.
Money fears are holding you back from leaving unhealthy situations but it doesn’t have to be this way
How can we embrace our inner 8-year-old? They say the most honest things!
Create opportunities rather than waiting for “luck.”
Being neurodiverse can be a superpower when you’re an entrepreneur
The internet has allowed women of all kinds to achieve financial independence. You can, literally, create and sell anything!
Make up your title – you deserve to be anyone you desire to be.
Look for a coach or mentor who can help you find the answers for yourself.
The key to creating opportunities and manifesting your desires is self-love and acceptance.
EFT is an excellent way to clear pathways and open yourself up for self-love and acceptance.
Money is simply a tool we use. Normalize talking about it.
You’ll be happy when you decide to be happy.
Consider batching your projects to follow the momentum and get shit done.
Prioritize things that bring you joy.
Take your core skill set and figure out how to maximize it! You may be leaving a lot on the table.
Keep confetti in your pocket because you never know when you’ll want to celebrate and sprinkle gratitude and joy.
Recently, I sat down with Heather Vickery and Alan Seales...
Recently, I sat down with Heather Vickery and Alan Seales from the Was it Chance? podcast to chat about all things money mindset.
Episode Takeaways
Be willing to try things and then adjust rather than waiting for things to be perfect.
Money fears are holding you back from leaving unhealthy situations but it doesn’t have to be this way
How can we embrace our inner 8-year-old? They say the most honest things!
Create opportunities rather than waiting for “luck.”
Being neurodiverse can be a superpower when you’re an entrepreneur
The internet has allowed women of all kinds to achieve financial independence. You can, literally, create and sell anything!
Make up your title – you deserve to be anyone you desire to be.
Look for a coach or mentor who can help you find the answers for yourself.
The key to creating opportunities and manifesting your desires is self-love and acceptance.
EFT is an excellent way to clear pathways and open yourself up for self-love and acceptance.
Money is simply a tool we use. Normalize talking about it.
You’ll be happy when you decide to be happy.
Consider batching your projects to follow the momentum and get shit done.
Prioritize things that bring you joy.
Take your core skill set and figure out how to maximize it! You may be leaving a lot on the table.
Keep confetti in your pocket because you never know when you’ll want to celebrate and sprinkle gratitude and joy.
April 25, 2022
Negative Feedback About Your Prices and How to Deal With it
Something you are going to hear in your business, at some point is: you're too expensive.
How does that feel?
Ugh, like a dagger to the heart?
The crazy fact is that often entrepreneurs are actually undercharging, not overcharging, but it can feel so deflating to hear this.
Maybe prospective clients phrase it differently: "Oh, that's not what I was expecting," or "That's a little bit out of my budget."
Same feeling right?!
So what happens when you hear this?
Negative feedback about your pricing can pull you down into a sinkhole of self-doubt. I've seen people literally throw whole businesses away over this.
It’s absolutely going to bring up your money blocks. Stuff like: I'm excluding people, can I justify my price?
So I’m sharing some tips on getting clearer on your pricing, and even, how to feel good about being told you're too expensive.
I heard this more at the start of my business than I hear it now. Which is one of the first clues – it often shows up when you’re feeling vulnerable.
5 ways to deal with criticism about your prices
Don’t take it personally
Have a charitable sector of your business if you want to help those on a lower income
Get really clear on your offering
Work on your self worth
See it as a rite of passage!
Let’s take a look at these in more depth.
#1. Don’t take it personally
If you feel even a little uncertain about your product or service, about starting out in business, this criticism will hit you harder. Sometimes when you're afraid of it happening, that's when you actually attract it most.
I'm just not that bothered about it anymore. When I started out those words absolutely paralyzed me and they really stunted my income.
What is expensive anyway?
Who even knows, right?
So let's just say the ‘correct’ pricing is a meaningless, made-up concept, and you can just charge what you want.
When someone says you're too expensive, they mean you're too expensive for me right now.
It's just a mismatch. It's not a mistake on your part, you're not being exploitative.
It's about them, not you, and it's absolutely not personal.
My philosophy is: the price is the price, and it's either worth it to me right now, or it's not.
It's okay to be too expensive for some people. It doesn't mean you have to shift and change things, it doesn't mean you have to offer them a discount.
The first thing to do is really check in with yourself and see what else it's bringing up. It might be bringing up feelings of being excluded yourself.
#2. Have a charitable sector of your business if you want to help those on a lower income
Some entrepreneurs mix up their philanthropy or charitable giving, with their business. This might show up as really wanting to help a target market because they're struggling.
Separate it out: Perhaps 10% of your business is for people on a low-income.
#3. Get really clear on your offering
Look at your marketing and see where you are not showcasing your value. Maybe you're just not being really clear on the transformation you’re offering.
Often it's just a mismatch of pricing.
How can you help people afford your offer - what would they need to sell? 5 extra clients? 5 speaking gigs?
What can you do for people so they can easily make back that investment?
That will take the sting out of “You’re too expensive.” You've just targeted your business to the wrong person, they can't clearly see the value.
#4. Work on your self worth
If you don't feel good in your pricing, you will sabotage every sales conversation, every link on your website.
You have to work on your deserved-ness to charge your true worth.
Without doing that inner work, it honestly doesn't matter. It’s not about what you do, what you charge, or who you're targeting your business to.
If you’ve not done the mindset work you're always going to feel like a fraud. You'll have imposter syndrome, you will sabotage the sales conversations and you'll just feel wrong about charging.
So in order to hear “you're too expensive,” less, the first step is to work on your inner value. If you feel like you're not worth it, you're going to attract people who mirror that back to you, no matter what you charge.
If you don't believe me, think back to times when you've discounted, you've undercharged, you've massively over-delivered, and the client still wasn't happy. They're reflecting back your self-worth to you.
#5. See it as a rite of passage
Being told you're too expensive is a business rite of passage.
Once you've done the inner work, you'll become less attached and take it less personally.
You can just shrug it off.”That’s true for you, that's where you're at.” This is what's true for me: I give great value, I am worth it.
It’s good to let clients know that, not only are you not too expensive, you're not taking it personally. “When you’re ready to work with me let me know. And just a reminder that my prices are going up in three month’s time.”
Even if you charge a dollar, someone's going to ask you why you're not doing it for free. You’re not required to serve everyone. Not everyone's an energetic match.
So, let’s remove some of the sticky stuff around this feedback and just see it as an energetic rite of passge.
It’s your time and you’re ready for the next step,
xx Denise
