February 25, 2021

“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that our aim is too low and we reach it.” –Michaelangelo

Are you here to settle or are you here to build a business and life you’re proud of? I thought so.

I don’t think anyone creates a business with the intention of it being average, but when you copy other people’s process, ignore what you truly want, and don’t believe in yourself, this is what happens:

You don’t make enough money to support a life that fulfills you
You repeat limiting beliefs that hold you back from reaching your goals
You can’t get clarity on the audience you serve, your niche, or how to market yourself
You’re inconsistent in your pricing and services
You have a disorganized process
You feel clueless on how to run a successful business

I want more for you. And I know you want more for yourself… you want a badass business, dammit!

But the way to get there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach because business doesn’t work that way. The coolest part about it? It means you get to create your own formula for what that looks like.

As a coach, I blend business and life coaching to give you personalized advice that takes you from burnt out and overwhelmed to balanced and fulfilled. My job is to guide and encourage you.

What I want you to realize is you have a unique gift and set of skills. When you decide to step into your power, you can build a badass business. You just need to get clear on your why, who, what, and how first.

Your why

I like to call this “finding your purpose.” It’s the real reason why you’re in the design business.

How do you find your purpose? By discovering yourself through personality tests, digging deep into your limiting beliefs, and being open to learning about yourself. Because when you have clarity around who you are and why you show up the way you do in the world, you can unlearn the core beliefs that hold you back from being the badass you know you are.

Hiring my own coach helped me with this because as she says, “Business problems are life problems in disguise.” Let me give you an example.

You get off a call with a potential new client and eagerly type up a fancy proposal. You feel confident and are about to press send on the email when a wave of fear consumes you.

“They’re going to say no. I’m scared. I really need this money, I don’t want to hear no. Let me just knock a couple of hundred dollars off of this price...”

You may think it’s a simple case of the jitters, but what I see is a childhood pattern repeating itself. The belief that “I’m not enough and I don’t deserve to be paid” – is holding you back, not just from charging a rate that makes sense for the project but from being the business badass you know you are.

It’s not your fault, but it is a pattern. One that’s up to you to break.

Your who

Something else for you to ditch? The starving artist mentality that leads to demanding clients. Instead, focus on finding clients who pay you well and respect you as a human being.

You do that by understanding your core values first and knowing who you want to serve on a deep level. Because your ideal client is not my ideal client.

The result? You take on clients who are a good fit for you and your business. And when you decide to only work with clients who light you up… your business thrives.

Just like your idea of a “Hell Yes” client is unique, a badass business is going to look different for everyone. Why? Everyone’s business is different.

You don’t need another person telling you how they built their business or what clients you should work with, you need someone to guide you so you can figure it out for yourself. Your who is just one piece of the puzzle. Your why, what, and how are the other pieces that, when fit together, illuminate the bigger picture… your badass business.

Your what

By now, you know you need to get clear on your why and your who. Now, it’s time for you to stop questioning your worth and focus on what you create as a business so you can charge your holy fuck pricing.

HFP is a movement to get rid of the starving artist mentality and raise the industry standards for creatives as a whole. In my experience, many designers take on projects that don’t meet their minimum price or don’t make them excited because they don’t feel enough. They settle for less.

Does this sound like you? You may have a scarcity mindset! Instead of understanding there are clients out there who are willing and able to invest in you, you feel like there’s a limited amount of money to go around and you have to take every opportunity because there will never be enough clients who want to hire you.

I get how that feels. The coolest part? This is another limiting belief you get to reframe. Stop questioning your worth and remember there are plenty of projects out there for all of us. We each bring something unique to the table, remember?

When you adopt an abundant mindset, you feel much more community-oriented. There’s no need to compete because there’s more than enough. You are enough. Knowing this allows you to tackle your limiting beliefs about what it means to own a business, to make money, and to collaborate with others in your industry.

It’s time for you to master your money mindset once and for all so you feel confident dealing with large budgets, pricing, and understanding the value you bring to each of your clients.

You don’t build a badass business by lowering your price and taking on any client who comes your way. You think you’re doing this potential client a favor but what are you really doing? You’re staying small and comfortable.

This also teaches the client it’s okay to negotiate in the future with other designers, further perpetuating the starving artist mentality.

Give yourself the space to be rejected, make mistakes, and grow. Otherwise, you’re going to feel resentful. And when you repeat this pattern over and over again, that’s when you experience burnout.

Your how

One of the leading causes of burnout is a lack of boundaries. If you don’t know how to communicate yours, now’s a good time to get clear on what they are.

To me, a boundary is when you create a rule around your relationship with your energy.

When you don’t set boundaries, it looks a lot like this: Working over the weekend, reading and responding to emails at 10 PM, or doing an extra round of revisions for a client because you feel uncomfortable explaining that it’s out of scope.

It can be hard to reinforce your boundaries, especially in business, if you were taught to always do what other people want. It’s not your fault, but it’s up to you to show up and learn how to protect your energy.

When you begin setting clear boundaries, you become an advocate for yourself. This allows you to create the life you want, not a life other people dictate.

Remember that freedom is within your reach, you just have to get clear on your purpose, who you want to serve, what you uniquely have to offer, and the boundaries to set to help you get there.

Ready to make it happen? Snag The Free Business Badass Masterclass (video + workbook) and get clear on the steps you need to take to build your badass business today.

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