Let me tell you something: running a business – a legitimate business – is TOUGH. Those who tell you any different are lying.
Are you remarkable?
Question: Are you remarkable? I mean, really remarkable. If so, how do you know you’re remarkable?
…
Answer: You know you’re remarkable when other people are remarking about you. When people are exclaiming and talking about your value, your worth, and your merit – THAT’s how you know you’re remarkable.
Why are you underselling yourself?
A big problem aspiring & starting entrepreneurs have is underselling themselves.
Too often, we give stuff away for free, just to get people interested. Or we price our services really lowly, just to get some cheap attention. But I’m tellin’ ya, once you start giving stuff away for free or severely underpricing yourself, you’re hurting yourself AND your client.
Because, think about it from the client’s shoes: When you get something for free or really cheap, you’re much less likely to value it. But when you pay good money for something, you’re more likely to value it and follow through with it?
So, the lesson here is to price yourself what your worth. Price your services and products what they’re worth because when you’re playing the ‘low price’ game, both sides lose.
Don’t be afraid to ask for the cash
I don’t understand why some people have a problem making sales – more specifically, asking for the cash!
I mean, c’mon.
I’m sure you know someone who (or you yourself) has had trouble asking for fair compensation for your services. It’s easy to sell yourself and sell your services – but sometimes you have trouble ASKING FOR THE CASH. And not just asking for the cash, but asking for it BEFORE you do the work.
But think about it: Have you ever bought a hamburger from McDonald’s and paid for it AFTER you ate it? Have you ever ordered a book from Amazon and paid for it AFTER you read it? Have you ever bought shoes from Under Armour and paid for them AFTER you wore them?
NO!
So, why is it OK for you to get paid for your services AFTER you perform them? Why is it OK for your clients to wait until AFTER you fulfill your service to pay you?
This is NOT OK. Make sense?
Make a change…learn to ask for the cash up front and fulfill on the back – just like every other successful business that exists out there.
What ‘money’ conversation are you having?
You’re either in the occupational – or what I call the “industrial age” – conversation, which is about minimizing, restricting and living within your means. Or you’re in the entrepreneurial conversation, which is about expanding, creating and generating wealth.
If you’re in the occupational conversation, there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s how we were raised. Many of us were raised in the post-Great Depression era where we learned from our parents and teachers that getting a job and working hard would get us the security we needed to survive. This industrial way of thinking made sense back then since it got us out of that first depression…but it’s not a completely outdated and extremely limiting conversation around money that’s no longer serving us.
However, if you’re in the entrepreneurial conversation, your mind is open to wealth-building, it happily accepts new challenges, and seeks opportunities at every corner. You take risks, you’re a self starter, you’re a visionary, you’re not boxed in, you’re flexible, you’re innovative, you’re resourceful…
So…what conversation are you having around money?
Are you another cog in the system designed to produce workers who never challenge the status quo … or is your mindset open to endless possibilities, new opportunities, and limitless creations?
Don’t disqualify yourself – lifelong lessons
My dad, Jim, was born in Nebraska. He was a simple man. A farmer. A hard worker.
Before leaving this life, my father taught me one of the main lessons I teach people now: The 3 D’s.
Decisions, Determination and Disqualification.
These 3 D’s were never more important to me than when he was on his death bed.
It was New Year’s Eve 2006 and I got a phone call that my father was going to die. I was in Tahoe and needed to fly to Nebraska ASAP to see him.
My father had never met my daughter (who was 3 months old at the time) and I wasn’t going to let him go without seeing her.
Here’s where the challenge presented itself: There were absolutely NO outgoing flights from Tahoe on New Year’s Eve. None. I literally called everywhere and just kept getting no’s.
No, no, no, no, NO.
But I was going home. No doubt about it.
So I started thinking of who I could call to help…
Luckily, I had a friend in aviation. I dialed him up immediately and asked him to get my family and I to Nebraska.
“Loral…it would be $29,000 to fly out,” he said.
“I don’t care. How quickly can we leave?” I responded.
Before I could blink, my family and I packed up a few essentials, drove to a private airport and were in the air for Nebraska to see my father.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
So we flew out and got to spend my dad’s last days together. He got to meet his granddaughter and we all spent the waning moments of his life as a family.
I couldn’t have asked for more.
This whole story was one of my “Say ‘yes’ and figure out how” moments. I was told ‘no, there is no way we can get you to your dad,’ but I said ‘YES, I am flying home’ and figured out how.
MANY OF YOU DON’T HAVE THIS TYPE OF MINDSET BECAUSE YOU’RE STUCK WHEN IT COMES TO THE 3 D’S:
Deciding: When faced with obstacles, many of you have decided you can’t do it. The decision is already made up in your mind. But when it’s really, really, really something that you need to do, I think it’s fascinating to see how creative you can become to get that thing done.
Putting it into action: When the world had told me “no” 100 times, I had already decided to say “yes.” Do the same in your own life and see it transform.
Determination: A lot of you have a lack of determination. You have to be determined enough to say yes. It can’t be feigned. Your “yes” must be genuine and driven. Almost a gut YES!
Putting it into action: There was no way in hell I was not going to see my father during his last days.
Disqualification: A lot of you disqualify yourself based on the fact that you don’t know how to overcome whatever challenged you’re faced with and don’t know anyone to help you do it.
Putting it into action: Yes, I was fortunate enough to have a friend in aviation to fly me out, but even if I didn’t, I would’ve made a friend that day. Never disqualify yourself for anything. It’s the most disempowering thing you could do.
These Are The 3 D’s I Learned From My Dad
Always clarify your 3 D’s in life and keep them in mind daily. Consider saying “yes” every day and match it against the 3 D’s.
Do this and you’ll truly start to see you can have EVERYTHING you want in life…
Cheers,
Christy Whitman Interviews Loral: How Do You Make Millionaires?
Delta Zeta Sorority 2013 Woman of the Year Loral Langemeier
https://www.deltazeta.org/sororitynews/2013woy
Loral Langemeier, Nebraska Wesleyan – Beta Tau, is one of today’s most dynamic and pioneering financial coaches and strategists. A five-time New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author and a leading motivational speaker, Loral has inspired thousands across the country from dazed apathy and fear of finance to millionaire status by giving them the simple tools to launch innovative businesses that generate cash and build wealth.
Rachel Denning Reccomends The Millionaire Maker
https://racheldenning.wordpress.com/tag/loral-langemeier/
I really like Loral Langemeier, she is one of my mentors. A great businesswomen and example for women who want to create wealth. I personally liked her other book better, The Millionaire Maker, but I still got some good ideas and strategies for creating and building a Cash Machine. I still need to read her Wealth Cycle Investing. Rachel Denning