#10–Pain is the messenger

In February of 2024, I opened my metaphorical purse and started paying for courses and programs to learn how to grow my business.

I told myself that I'd always been a "subject matter expert" but my business acumen was mediocre at best. So, paying for consultants and business coaches seemed like a sound decision.

Fast forward to July of 2024, and I'm shutting down my business. This is the sound decision.

I'm not quitting because it's hard (although it is). I'm changing my strategy because I now can see what I couldn't see before, because I had blinders on.

The kind of blinders that we, compulsive underearners, tend to wear:

• hope in the future and disregard for the present
• time indifference ("someday...")
• looseness and fogginess about numbers (now knowing what I need, what I have, what I owe...)
• over-attachment (or, in behavioral economics terms, endowment effect)
• sunk costs
• internal blockers to change ("what else can I do...?")

Then, one day, the pain of needing to tap into my savings (once again) to pay the rent became too acute to ignore.

Thank you, pain! You helped me open my eyes to reality.

I spent $23K in promises (business coaches, LinkedIn consultants, online course-creation programs). Zero results and loads of disappointment.

But I know I needed it in order to wake up. Because now I'm committed to stop underearning for good.

What is pain telling you?

Love,

Carolina