"I Feel Guilty Asking For More Money. Am I Wrong? Coach Me!" with Claire Wasserman

Danielle's personal narrative reveals the complexities of her relationship with money, spanning from a modest childhood to an adulthood marked by financial extremes and associated challenges.

Danielle's Journey From a Poor Childhood to Six-figure Burnout

Danielle's experiences with money, from her upbringing to her professional life, have profoundly shaped her understanding and attitudes towards it.

Danielle's Perception of Money Tied To Ego, Selfishness, and Taking From Upbringing and Early Experiences

Danielle grew up in a family where financial resources were scarce, and her parents were in service-oriented professions. This environment fostered a belief that amassing wealth was tied to egotism and selfishness, and that it was antithetical to sharing and helping others. As a result, she now associates charging what she believes she's worth with the idea of taking away from those she aims to assist, reflecting the influence of her early experiences on her present-day mindset.

Danielle's Journey: From Food Stamps to Six-figure Earnings and Its Toll

Her fiscal journey has been a roller coaster, from depending on food stamps to earning a six-figure income. After earning her bachelor's degree, Danielle faced economic hardship, taking a postgraduate job with a modest salary of $19,200 per year. This financial strain was compounded by having a child that same year, leading her to rely on social services such as food stamps and Medicaid to avoid sinking into debt amidst unforeseen challenges.

However, Danielle ...

Danielle faces a dilemma common among professionals, especially those in service-oriented fields: how to balance charging what she's worth with her desire to help others. Claire Wasserman addresses this widespread issue by exploring common mindset challenges and potential solutions.

Danielle's Reluctance to Charge Her Worth

Danielle's View on Money, Egotism, and Balancing Work With Service

Danielle struggles with the concept of asking for more money, feeling it detracts from her mission to help others. This is tied to her internalized perception of money, where she equates receiving adequate compensation with egotism or taking away from those she serves. The conflict between making a living and providing service is exacerbated by her concerns over appearing selfish or money-minded when she wishes to remain altruistic in her endeavors.

Claire Wasserman highlights the discrepancy between being qualified or talented and achieving financial success. She points out that success often goes to those who "play the game" rather than those who may be most deserving based on skill or effort. Danielle's reluctance to charge her worth may partly stem from her discomfort with this "game," which she views as antithetical to genuine service and professional integrity.

Danielle's Challenges In Overcoming Pride and Money Mindset

Accepting money is often perceived as an act of taking, which is a particularly difficult concept for those in service or creative industries, including Danielle. She shares the common desire to offer her services for free, even when dealing with clients who are financially constrained.

Wasserman addresses this issue by urging professionals like Danielle to consider their brand when setting prices. She advises charging more than might feel comfortable, aiming for a mid or slightly higher range, to balance perceptions and avoid undervaluing oneself.

In reconciling the difficulty in accepting money, Danielle must confront her deep-rooted pride that makes her reluctant to accept discounts or anything less than full price, as she believes it may suggest weakness or financial fragility. She is wary of appearing vulnerable or in need, wanting respect without explicitly demanding it.

Furthermore, Danielle needs to embrace the concept that " ...

Danielle is navigating the challenges of appropriately pricing her services. With advice from industry experts, she is exploring the benefits of setting confident price points and creating tiered offerings to better cater to a range of clients.

Danielle Researches the Market to Find a Mid-range Pricing Sweet Spot

Claire Wasserman advises against undercharging for services. She emphasizes that choosing a confident price point is crucial rather than adopting a "pay what you want" model, which can undermine client confidence. The caller, Danielle, is seeking the right "product market fit" and has been intentionally pricing services lower to build a portfolio. However, she encountered challenges with this approach.

Danielle's Hesitation to Charge Her Worth and Resulting Issues

Wasserman notes that it's not uncommon for service providers like Danielle to hesitate to charge their worth, leading to issues in their business. Establishing a price that reflects the value of the service provided is imperative to business success.

Danielle's Tiered Offerings: DIY to Premium Options

Claire suggests that Danielle could establish ...

Danielle expresses her discomfort with traditional self-promotion methods and her struggle to maintain authenticity while marketing her business.

Danielle's Desire to Share Expertise Freely Despite Self-Promotion Discomfort

Danielle is torn between being true to herself and adopting a more conventional business persona for effective marketing, particularly on professional platforms like LinkedIn. She wishes to share her expertise authentically without resorting to an altered version of herself that she might have to present for business purposes.

Danielle's Struggle to Balance Authenticity and a Business Persona, Finding a Middle Ground

Danielle battles with the concept of pitching herself and is hesitant to seem overeager or inauthentic in promoting her services. She grapples with presenting a business-forward versus an authentic self-image on social media, revealing a deeper conflict about what version of herself the audience would pay for—especially as a writer who enjoys creating unique content.

Strategies For Danielle to Share Expertise and Value Through Collaboration, Live Sessions, and Content Repurposing

Claire Wasserman suggests that authenticity doesn't have to mean full transparency but can be about making selective choices and setting clear boundaries on what is shared. To find a balance, Wasserman advises mapping out what authenticity means to Danielle and blend it with a professional business persona.

Wasserman offers practical strategies such as using social media to give away free lessons or holding support groups not just as an end, but as a stepping stone to build trust and credibility with an audience. She advises having a clear ca ...

Danielle grapples with a challenge familiar to many entrepreneurs: balancing the need to generate income with the desire to provide pro bono work for those who cannot afford her services.

Danielle's Challenge: Balancing Paid Work and pro Bono For Clients

Danielle started her own company with high hopes of using her creative skills to support others, particularly women who often can't afford to pay for her services. While she loves the work she does with them, Danielle is conflicted about charging these clients and struggles to maintain financial responsibility towards her family, as well as creating necessary boundaries with money. She's also frustrated by the disparity she observes in her field, where male consultants charge exorbitant rates that women consultants, including herself, seem unable to command.

Danielle's Plan: Community Service, Financial Stability, and Burnout Prevention

Claire Wasserman advises Danielle to balance her workload over months or quarters, rather than on a daily or weekly basis, to achieve both fulfillment and financial stability, without burning out. Danielle is exploring how she might integrate revenue-generating projects with meaningful, unpaid work in a sustainable way, and extend these strategies to help others facing similar challenges.

Ideas For Danielle to Integrate Philanthropy Into Her Business Model

To strike a balance, Wasserman suggests Danielle could create a paid podcast docu-series for a technology company that aligns with her values, thus bringing in a paycheck and protecting against burnout through established systems and boundaries. This allows paying customers to invest in their own progress and in the business's ability to serve those who cannot afford to pay.

Danielle is encouraged t ...