It was springtime in North Carolina. May flowers in bloom. You know what else was blooming? Money.
I’d been running my company for a few years—and I was on the brink of having my first $100k month. A huge milestone!
It was the final day of May. I tucked the kids into bed. 8 pm in the evening. 4 hours ‘til midnight. Total revenue for the month: $96,311.
I wanted to crack the $100,000 ceiling so badly. I wanted to prove to myself and to the world: This is what a Black woman entrepreneur can do. Watch me.
It felt imperative to reach this goal. I was so close, I could taste it.
My brain began whirling with money-making possibilities. I called my best friend Robert and told him, “So, I need to make $3,700—before midnight.” I hashed out my idea and asked him, “What do you think? Terrible idea? Should I go for it?”
“DO ITTTTTT!” he replied with Broadway gusto.
I did it.
I whipped together a quick email that said:
Would you like to hire me for a VIP Day? You get one full day with me. My undivided attention. We can work on whatever goals you want. You want to reinvent your business model? Develop a new offer? 10x your revenue while working fewer hours? Let’s get it done. Investment: $3,700. This offer is available for the next 4 hours only. Who’s in?
Click. Send. The email whooshed out to my mailing list.
My heart sped up as I waited to see, “Will anyone go for this? Was it stupid to send out this last-minute Hail Mary message?”
To my absolute shock and delight, 4 people immediately jumped on this offer. I had been hoping for just 1!
Shortly thereafter, I met with client #1. We had a phenomenal session. By the end of the day, I mapped out a plan to scale her business from $100,000 per year to $1,000,000. I told her, “Do this plan and I promise: you will make more money.” She followed the plan to the letter, doing everything we discussed. Six months later: she hit $1 million.
The other 3 clients? Same result. They all reached $1 million within the next year.
That’s when it hit me.
“I played myself.”
I got paid $3,700 and helped my client to make $1 million. Four times in a row. In other words: I delivered massive value and radically changed each client’s life—and got paid a piddly amount compared to what I could have earned.
This was my Million Dollar Mistake.
I vowed, “Never again.”
Let’s be clear: $3,700 is good money. That’s a downpayment on a car. That’s a vacation. That’s not nothing! But it’s crumbs compared to how much I could have made for doing the exact same amount of work.
The same is true for you.
On average, Black women earn $1 million less than their white cis male peers over the course of their careers. Why? Partly: racism. And partly, because of our own decisions. Because of decisions exactly like the one I made on that spring evening in May.
Why do you reach the end of your career with a missing million in your bank account?
It’s because you decide to charge $3,700 rather than $10,000.
It’s because you downplay your achievements and undersell yourself.
It’s because you don’t understand the value that you bring to the table.
It’s because you aim too low and expect too little.
No matter what you do for a living, I guarantee you are leaving easy money on the table. You could be earning more than you currently do. I know it. You know it, too.
The real question is…
What are you going to do about this?
Here’s the first thing you’re going to do: quit playing yourself. It’s time to know your worth and charge accordingly.
Playtime is over.
xo,
R
PS. This hasn’t been announced publicly yet. You’re the first to know. In a couple weeks, I’m leading a brand-new experience called The Make More Money Challenge. 💸
Want more info? Join the wait-list.
During this challenge, you will stop leaving money on the table. You will pull levers to increase your income immediately. Most importantly, you will see your work (and the value of your work) very differently.
If you suspect that you could be earning more than you currently do, this Challenge is exactly what you need.
> Get on the wait-list and we’ll send details to you. 💸
