Money can be a sticky thing.
There’s this age-old taboo that says we shouldn’t talk about money or ask people about theirs. I think we should step away from that.
But first, why does money make us so uncomfortable?
The number one reason is that it’s an enormous source of comparison. I’ve fallen victim many times to what I call “travel glamor shame.”
That’s when we see our friends—or enemies—in some beautiful foreign country and then we immediately hate ourselves.
How much money a person makes can be hard to dismiss. I say I treat every single human being with the same humor and respect as the next. But the difference between someone making $25,000/year and $250,000/year doesn’t go unnoticed.
And that’s the thing. I don’t think it should go unnoticed. I just think we shouldn’t care.
We can have both. We can talk about the discrepancy of a person’s income without treating them any differently.
I’ve been talking about money frequently with other coaches in my community. How to value our services. How to make more of it. Why it’s not this evil thing.
2021 was the year of building my business. By September, I had gotten it to be highly profitable and sustainable. But the months before that were riddled with uncertainty, doubt, and anxiety.
All that to say: I’ve learned so many lessons about making money that I want to share. But I usually feel bad talking about them because I don’t want to come off as arrogant or like I’m gloating.
What’s funny is, whenever I do share about my finances with other coaches, they tend to find it inspiring. “It makes it seem more real and possible,” one coach told me.
That’s the point.
When I talk about my money, the vibe isn’t, “Look at how cool I am.” It’s, “Hey, I’m an idiot. And if I can do this, you can too if you want!”
I know people who make six figures who either love talking about money or despise it. I know people who make less than $30k who either love talking about money or despise it.
This blog was a tad rambly but I’ll end with this statement.
If we treat money like Voldemort, like this unspeakable thing, I think it just causes more stress and pressure around it.