Are you guilty of “too much bootstrapping” syndrome?
One of the biggest traps that entrepreneurs fall into is trying to do everything on their own.
When you’re starting out, I believe that “flying solo” for a little while actually makes sense. So does sampling a lot of low cost trainings with different mentors. Why? Because when you’re just starting out, blundering around is part of the deal. You’re going to be trying different things, bumping your head a little, and course-correcting. It’s all part of finding your footing, so to speak.
But there comes a point – and it’s sooner than you think – that NOT getting expert help will cost you, big time. While it may seem noble to try to figure everything out yourself, all that time spent learning something that an experienced mentor can tell you in about 5 minutes is time that you could have spent either marketing (attracting new clients) or serving (working with clients).
When I was first starting out, I was convinced that I didn’t have the money for a mentor. Frankly, I was afraid. So I joined the best low-cost program I could find, and – pardon the expression – worked the hell out of it. I’m talking about listening to audio after audio… piecing together the “how” from endless 90-minute training calls… and, well, slogging.
Now, if I could turn back the clock, I would have found a way to step up. Not just because of all the time and opportunities that I lost (and there were many), but because choosing the long and slow road was disempowering. It sent the message to the Universe that I didn’t feel like I was deserving of support, and that I didn’t really believe in my powers of creation and manifestation. Yuck.
So how do you know when it’s time to stop bootstrapping and get a mentor? Here are a few questions to ask:
Have I been working really hard at the same level for 6 months or more, and am not making the progress I want?
Would I hire a mentor in a heartbeat “if I only had the money”?
Do I know in my heart that it’s time, but… [insert story here]
Those who are successful in any endeavor – be it solo business, a career, arts, medicine, anything – NEVER get there alone. Allowing yourself to receive support sends a powerful message to the Universe: that you value yourself, are committed to the people you serve, and that you are ready to receive the success that you seek.
Bright blessings and massive success to you…
3 Mo-ney Mindset Must-Haves for the Spiritual Entrepreneur
Most of us go into business for ourselves for so many yummy reasons: to honor our calling, to have an impact in the world, to create freedom for ourselves and the ones we love, to leave a legacy. Ah, but little do we know when we first start out that spiritual entrepreneurship is really a spiritual growth path in disguise! To succeed as a business owner requires us come face to face with “our stuff,” and transform limiting beliefs and behaviors into those that will support our success.
Nowhere is this more apparent than our beliefs about mo-ney, what it means to make mo-ney, and what it means to be spiritual and make mo-ney. When it comes to these things, it can feel like we’re pushing the boulder up the hill of old baggage. Beliefs like “rich people are greedy/bad/evil,” “I’ll lose all my friends if I create more money” will absolutely keep us stuck, safe and small. But how do we begin to change beliefs that are so deep-rooted?
There are many ways to shift beliefs – indeed, dozens if not hundreds (or thousands?) of courses have been devoted to the topic. My favorite way is to “try on” a new belief and then make it my own by acting from that place… even if it feels “fake” or uncomfortable at first. Here, then, are 3 transformative, empowering money beliefs for you to take on and make your own:
1. “Making great money is part of my spiritual path.” This one comes from one of my mentors, Kendall SummerHawk. It took me a little while to wrap my head around it at first (can you relate?) but through experience, I fully began to understand its power. Here’s the deal: in business, the money you make is a direct reflection of the value you provide to others. If helping lots of people through your business is a part of your spiritual path (and for most of us spiritual entrepreneurs, it is), it’s impossible to be fully activated, expressed and living that path and NOT make great money. (So how do we get there? Embrace the belief first.)
2. “I empower others by giving them the choice to invest in my services.” Many spiritual entrepreneurs believe that they’re being generous or caring when they give away too much of their time, or when they give service away for free. But because people only value what they invest in, giving yourself away actually robs your clients of their choice to get the powerful transformation they want. The act of investing will cause your client to step up into a more powerful, confident sense of themselves… and by not discounting, you stand in your power as well.
3. “When I make great money, I give others permission to do the same.” The beautiful thing about this empowering belief is that it gives YOU permission to step into your greatness. (Or step into your grace-ness, as one of my clients likes to say – love that!) Imagine what the world would be like if all the spiritual people in the world truly gave themselves permission to receive money… and what amazing things we could do with it….
Remember, changing your results starts with changing your beliefs. To put these new beliefs into action, become aware of when your old beliefs are popping up (hint: this will often look like a challenging or uncomfortable situation). Then ask yourself this question:
“As someone who believes [new belief]… what action do I wish to take?”
For example…
“As someone who believes that making great money is part of my spiritual path…”
“As someone who believes that when I make great money, I give others permission to do the same…”
“As someone who believes that I empower others by giving them a choice to invest in my services…”
“… what action do I wish to take?”
I invite you to “try on” at least one of these 3 new beliefs this week. Take action from the new place, even if it feels a little wiggy or uncomfortable at first. Soon you’ll discover your energy shifting from a place of uncertainty to a place of personal power – the best energy state from which to grow your business!
My Divine Download (new no-cost training for you)
Ever have one of those ideas that comes to you so clearly, so fully-formed… that you just KNOW it’s really the Divine talking through you?
That’s what happened to me late last week. There I was, cooking up some kale, when… all of a sudden, a phrase just appeared in my head.
And then the words and ideas started coming so quickly, I almost couldn’t keep up.
(Why do these things always happen in the kitchen? *laugh*)
This brand new gift for you is what resulted:
It’s unlike anything I’ve ever done before, but truthfully, it has been a long time in coming for me. I truly hope it empowers you!
PS: Please forgive any glitches in the video. Like I said, this wasn’t exactly planned! (Leland and I are still buying furniture so it was kind of an adventure getting everything set up this weekend.)
PPS: It’s my sincere desire that this new content reaches all who need to hear it. After getting on the list yourself, would you do me a solid and pass the link on to others in your community who would benefit?
Feel free to Tweet, post to Facebook, etc:
Thanks so much! And don’t forget to let me know what you think! 
Spirit Rich Entrepreneur Spotlight: Jacquie Molloy
“From zero to a five-figure month – in just a few months!”
Jacquie Molloy,
Executive Communications Coach
JacquieMolloy.com
“Two years ago I was taken out of my business by an injury. Until then I had been merrily rolling along with a six-figure business as a sole practitioner. The phone was ringing. And I was working. But I was working too hard, I was remaining the best-kept secret in a tight circle of clients (which I thought was a good thing), and I had a hit a ceiling that I reached, but could not pass, year after year.
Cut to Elizabeth’s MMM program. Although I had taken another course and done the work to identify my real niche and how I wanted to work with them, I knew I was stuck — and I knew it wasn’t necessarily related to what marketing action to take next. It was a deeper level of ‘story’ & a more insidious kind of ‘stuck’.
The area I knew I needed most help with, starting over again at zero, was mindset. I needed to redesign the business to match my shift from practitioner to expert adviser and I needed to support, and direct, the actions I was taking with clarity around how my beliefs were either helping or hurting me.
I was drawn to Elizabeth’s energy and her absolute no-nonsense ‘roll up your sleeves and get in there and take action’ approach. It was the right decision. The mindset work in particular that we have done in the MMM program has been a powerful catalyst in helping me to take action & grow my business.
I can see clearly now where I have been hiding out (and calling it something else) and where I have limited myself even when the words coming out of my mouth suggested something else entirely. And I’ve been able to let go of one of the biggest crippling forces in my life: perfectionism.
Thanks to Elizabeth’s coaching, and the help and support of my fellow MMM-ers, I have been able to take action — real action, not just ‘busyness’ — and not only reach my bold income goal, but smash through it. To go from zero to a 5-figure month in the space of a few months is better than good. Good would be one-off. But it is great to know that I have the skills and ability now to ‘turn it on’ and continue to achieve it, which I am on track to do.
Elizabeth’s advice is sound and her support is real. I have learned much about my business and myself through the MMM program and I know that this is the perfect combination on which to build a flourishing and successful business.
How to gracefully stop “giving away the farm”
Earlier this week, I had the privilege of facilitating an amazing all-day virtual workshop for my “MMM goddesses” on the topic of money breakthroughs and manifestation.
One of my clients asked a question that has been “up” for many in the group lately. “How do I know when I am over-giving? And how do I stop over-giving?”
Over-giving is a classic symptom of the Money Mirror of Deservability. Deservability also shows up as cramming too much “stuff” in your packages and programs, giving away extra services (more than what’s paid for) without charging, or making yourself too available (think after-hours or weekend phone calls from demanding clients).
The recurring theme behind the Money Mirror of Deservability is “never enough” and the emotional undercurrent is a driving need to please. No matter how much you give away your time, services, or expertise, somehow it’s never enough. And because what you really want is acknowledgement and acceptance, you’ll bend over backwards to get it. Problem is, it’s never enough – creating a vicious cycle of burnout, exhaustion and resentment.
(One of the big ironies of this Money Mirror is that deservability attracts more deservability – in other words, you’ll tend to attract clients who take a “not good enough” stance when it comes to your services. Aie yi yi!)
The best way to know if you’re over-giving is to simply check in. Are you working really hard? Is the true energy behind giving more a genuine desire to create value (which you can do without working yourself into a frenzy, by the way) or a fear that what you do give “isn’t enough” or a need to please?
Most importantly, check your level of satisfaction. Are you at peace? If not, it’s time to stop giving away the farm at such a great cost to you.
Try this breakthrough action to stop over-giving: The next time you’re designing a program or service, cut the deliverables in half. For each component of your program, ask, “Do they really need this to get the outcome?”
This might seem like a drastic measure, but actually, your clients will feel relieved. Remember, you can always add things back in, but even just cutting them out “on paper” will shift your thinking.
When you look to other people, such as your own clients, to know that you’re “good enough,” you’ll never be satisfied. It is up to YOU to give yourself the gifts of acceptance, acknowledgement and love. You are perfect, right now, as you are.
Bright blessings and massive success to you….
Elizabeth Purvis, a.k.a. “The Marketing Goddess” mentors extraordinary spiritual women entrepreneurs to 6-figures and beyond.
