Because making it look easy doesn’t mean it is

Funny thing about getting good at something:

You get faster.

More confident.

More efficient.

And then people start assuming it must be easy.

You know—the kind of easy that makes them question your rates. Or toss in “just one more thing.” Or look surprised when you say no, because didn’t you already figure it out?

Somewhere along the way, we started mistaking ease for a lack of effort.

And worse, we’ve been taught to internalize that logic ourselves.

A little while back, I agreed to a project deadline that I knew was too tight. I had a solid plan in place, but the client had a big date looming and was desperate to make things happen sooner. So I shifted a few things, moved some parts of the process around, and made it work… sort of.

Only instead of appreciating the flexibility, the client treated it like a green light to pile on even more.

More edits.

More requests.

More moving targets.

And suddenly, it felt like my ability to adjust the plan gave the impression that I had overestimated the time and effort it would take. As if the project had magically become simple.

Spoiler: it hadn’t.

What had actually happened? They’d stopped valuing my time because I’d made it look too smooth.

The Better You Are, The More Invisible It Becomes

If you’ve ever had a client, customer, or boss question your rates or push your boundaries because you’re “fast”… you’ve felt it too.

The better you get, the more invisible the skill becomes.

And when effort is invisible, so is value—unless you draw the line.

Here’s the thing no one says enough:

• You’re not charging for how long it took you today.
• You’re charging for how long it took you to get here.
• You’re charging for the experience that makes things go right the first time.
• You’re charging for what doesn’t need fixing later.

You Don’t Need to Look Busy to Be Worthy

People love visible struggle. They trust it more than ease.

But ease is the result of expertise, not a lack of work.

If you’re doing what you do so well that it looks like magic, that’s not an accident. That’s what mastery looks like.

And it absolutely deserves to be paid accordingly.

💬 A gut-check prompt:

What do you do so naturally now that you forget how long it took to learn?

Remind yourself.

Then remind anyone who tries to undervalue it.

Keep making it look easy—and charging accordingly,

🌀 Wait—Did the Name Change?

Yep. You’ve got sharp eyes. This used to be called Home Business Jumpstart Biz Tips. Now it’s officially T. Marie’s Shift Notes.

Why the switch?

Because the world’s shifting... and so am I.

When I first started this newsletter, it was all about helping solopreneurs and home-based businesses get their footing. (And don’t worry—that’s still very much part of the plan.) I’ll still be here with the tech tips, smart tools, AI tricks, and gentle-but-firm nudges to do things that actually work for you.

But here’s what I’ve noticed lately:

More and more of you are whispering things like:

“I think I’m done with this job, but I don’t know what’s next.”

“I feel like I’m outgrowing this whole version of myself.”

“I want more—but not more work. Just more realness.”

So I’m making space for that too.

Shift Notes is about more than business now.

It’s about change. Realignment.

Saying, “You know what? This no longer fits—and I’m done pretending it does.”

Whether you’re a solopreneur who wants more ease, a support pro who’s tired of being treated like a disposable genius, or a mid-career woman quietly plotting her exit from the corporate grind—this space is for you.

Still grounded. Still helpful. Still me.

Just a little more open. A little more rebellious. A little more real.

So if you’ve been feeling like something’s gotta give?

Good news... you’re in the right place.

👉 Feeling like everything’s changed—and that the way you’ve always worked just isn’t cutting it anymore?

The Work That Loves You Back  Workbook is your first step toward a career or business that finally fits you—not the other way around.

Designed for women like us who are:

• Tired of chasing goals that feel hollow,
• Craving clarity about what truly fulfills,
• Ready to stop hustling and start thriving

This workbook guides you, step by step, to:

• Clarify your strengths, passions, and unique experience,
• Map out work or business pathways that feel right,
• Bring intention, joy, and profit back into alignment.

If you’re tired of squeezing yourself into work that doesn’t fit, you don’t have to anymore.

🌟Grab your copy today and stop forcing yourself to fit into work that never fit you back.

📣 Pass It On

Know someone who’s way too good at what they do—and constantly being undervalued for it?

Forward this Shift Note to them.

Or send it to your favorite quietly brilliant friend who’s overdue for a reminder that their skill deserves better.

Because the more of us who stop shrinking to fit, the harder it gets for the world to keep pretending that’s the only way.

📬 Why You’re Getting This

At some point, you signed up to hear from me. Maybe you downloaded a guide, took a workshop, grabbed a resource, or just thought “yes, this woman gets it.”

Either way, I’m glad you're here.

Shift Notes is where I share the stuff that doesn’t always make it onto the blog or into a course... the real talk behind the work, and the mindset shifts that make life and business feel less like a grind and more like something that finally fits.

If that’s not your thing anymore, no hard feelings.

You can unsubscribe or update your preferences below.

But if it is your thing?

Stick around. The best shifts are still ahead.