Before I started the Money EQ Quest, I had a very negative attitude towards money. I literally felt like I repelled it. I hated asking for it, I hated spending it, and I never had any. I made $250 this month, and the only reason I survive is because I live with my mom.
After some deep meditations with Dr. Scott Mills, I realized that after being bullied and underpaid on my first major jobs, I was made to believe I did not deserve to be paid for my work. I didn’t even know I had taken on that attitude towards getting paid. I have a BS in Textiles and Apparel Technology and a Master of Architecture degree, and I had never been paid a living wage. The problem has only gotten worse since my declaration to “never work for anyone else again”. At least before I had a steady income, albeit too low to survive on. When you work for yourself and you don’t like charging for your products and services, you are setting yourself up for disaster. Fast forward 8 years and the struggle is real. I am drowning in debt: $263K in student loans, $15K in credit card bills because I have to charge basic living expenses sometimes, and a company with great products but very little sales. It made $10K last years, and I put $20K into it.
So what’s the good news? What has the Money EQ Quest taught me? I am making peace with money. I no longer believe it is running from me. I no longer believe I don’t deserve pay. I am no longer uncomfortable talking about money, desiring to be paid for my work, or thinking of the future of my business in a profitable way.
Since I started this quest, I have had a financial conversation with my mom I had been avoiding for years, connected with the spirit of my maternal grandfather who died before he could complete his vision as an entrepreneur to secure financial security for his family, and created a business model for an additional revenue driver that will secure me $100K in extra income annually with only 16 hours of work per month. I have done break-even analysis for both businesses and the number line up.
I have also completed a 6 week business bootcamp through Notre Dame University, started working on my certification as a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), applied for a 14C Certification to increase my ability to hire people with developmental disabilities, corrected multiple issues on my trademark application, started the process of getting a grant for my business with assistance from a professional grant writer, identified 2 potential angel investors that I will contact within 2 weeks, gotten two high school students to commit to working on social media for my business, and teamed up with a social media influencer who is enthusiastic to help me increase my followers, and boost my company and product views online.
I still have to keep working to repair my relationship with money, but just knowing why I have those feelings has helped me start moving forward. My plan is to stay the course, follow up with all the people and processes I have begun, and launch my new revenue by May 6. Wish me luck. Domo Arigato.🙏🏾🙏🏾
After some deep meditations with Dr. Scott Mills, I realized that after being bullied and underpaid on my first major jobs, I was made to believe I did not deserve to be paid for my work. I didn’t even know I had taken on that attitude towards getting paid. I have a BS in Textiles and Apparel Technology and a Master of Architecture degree, and I had never been paid a living wage. The problem has only gotten worse since my declaration to “never work for anyone else again”. At least before I had a steady income, albeit too low to survive on. When you work for yourself and you don’t like charging for your products and services, you are setting yourself up for disaster. Fast forward 8 years and the struggle is real. I am drowning in debt: $263K in student loans, $15K in credit card bills because I have to charge basic living expenses sometimes, and a company with great products but very little sales. It made $10K last years, and I put $20K into it.
So what’s the good news? What has the Money EQ Quest taught me? I am making peace with money. I no longer believe it is running from me. I no longer believe I don’t deserve pay. I am no longer uncomfortable talking about money, desiring to be paid for my work, or thinking of the future of my business in a profitable way.
Since I started this quest, I have had a financial conversation with my mom I had been avoiding for years, connected with the spirit of my maternal grandfather who died before he could complete his vision as an entrepreneur to secure financial security for his family, and created a business model for an additional revenue driver that will secure me $100K in extra income annually with only 16 hours of work per month. I have done break-even analysis for both businesses and the number line up.
I have also completed a 6 week business bootcamp through Notre Dame University, started working on my certification as a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), applied for a 14C Certification to increase my ability to hire people with developmental disabilities, corrected multiple issues on my trademark application, started the process of getting a grant for my business with assistance from a professional grant writer, identified 2 potential angel investors that I will contact within 2 weeks, gotten two high school students to commit to working on social media for my business, and teamed up with a social media influencer who is enthusiastic to help me increase my followers, and boost my company and product views online.
I still have to keep working to repair my relationship with money, but just knowing why I have those feelings has helped me start moving forward. My plan is to stay the course, follow up with all the people and processes I have begun, and launch my new revenue by May 6. Wish me luck. Domo Arigato.🙏🏾🙏🏾