In 2023, I spent a lot of money on book marketing coaching.
The most expensive coaching program I paid for last year was a 2-day mastermind to ideate with Jack Canfield, Patty Aubery (both the creators of the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand), and Steve Harrison (one of Robert Kiyosaki’s first book marketing mentors, who got Robert’s self-published books from sitting in cardboard cases in his garage to finally selling to his target niche).
Want to know how much it was?
It was $11,997.
Would you ever pay that kind of money for a 2-day event?
In fact, I only got 45 minutes out of it, while the other time was spent ideating with the other 19 people in the group.
Do you judge me for paying that kind of money for coaching?
Would you scoff at the price of this event, when this money could go to saving baby seals or feeding starving children on the other side of the planet?
I was shamed at first for spending this money on this mastermind, but in hindsight, I am so glad I did.
First, why did people shame me? I had another coach at the time (we’ll call her Sue) who moaned and groaned that I shelled out that kind of money (and, to be honest, it was money I barely had at the time, my business bank account buoyed only my first $15k in book sales).
It was because Sue never would have paid that much for an event. Therefore, she couldn’t let anyone else around her do that either.
What Sue didn’t know, or what she will never see, was that the twelve-thousand-dollar-mastermind eventually led to my most treasured author/entrepreneur friendships to date (an intention I set going into the event), which led to relationships and partnerships on projects I had no idea how to do, which led to those projects getting completed, which led to a lot more cash in my bank account, which eventually led me to find the confidence to write this Substack.
And I’m still in deep relationship with those friends. We’re meeting online tomorrow.
If I had listened to Sue, I would not be writing this article today. I would have crawled right back into my shame hole.
Feeling shame for wanting to make money is the emotion that keeps you from making money.
There are way too many writers who could be achieving their greatest creative output while simultaneously making the money of their dreams, if they could just stop shaming themselves and everyone else around them for wanting to make money.
…if they could just stop blaming Amazon for stealing their precious book royalties.
…if they could just stop blaming the government and the corporations and their spouse and their kids and the state of the economy and fabric of our society for their money problems.
Because when you judge someone else for wanting to learn copywriting, or wanting to build an audience, or wanting to up their price, what you’re really doing is judging yourself.
Only a few years ago, I sneered at the people online building an audience. The voices in my head judged them harshly for “always” being on social media, for “always” working, for “always” trying to keep up with the Joneses.
That would never, ever be me. Meanwhile, I struggled deeply with building my own online business. I had such ravenous anxiety that I even contemplated suicide. I wanted freedom. I wanted to travel. And I wanted to give my family all the opportunities they deserved.
Badly.
What I didn’t understand was that my brain wanted to make money while it simultaneously judged other people for wanting to make money. These two opposing thoughts were getting me nowhere. In fact, it just created more shame.
It was only after I spent the last two years unraveling my stories, shame, and embarrassment around money that I finally started to see results in my life. At first, the progress was really slow.
I had a lot of fights with my husband. When I told him I spent my business earnings on a $11,997 mastermind, he flipped out.
It was a new landscape for us both.
But, when the returns on that investment far outweighed the initial price, we both knew we were onto something. It took several months to see it manifest. (It’s still manifesting, technically.)
I realized that if I wanted to play big, I needed to stop playing small.
Only after getting laid off last November did I finally make the decision to stop playing small. (It was either search for a new job or finally go all-in on building my business.)
If you want to play big, then it’s time to stop playing small.
✍🏽 This is my line in the sand.
This brand and newsletter is for you if you’re ready to play big, change the world one person at at time but in a big way, and remember that money is not the outcome, but a necessary tool you will need if your heart is going to shine from the inside out.
“Money is only an accompanying attribute.” - Vadim Zeland, Reality Transurfing
Never let the game get the better of you. No amount of likes, notifications, or numbers in your bank account will sate your insatiable hunger if you don’t fill your spiritual cup first.
But never let your shame, embarrassment, or doubt keep you from feeding your family, keep you up at night, or keep you from squeezing every drop out of your precious one life. (Or, keep your loved ones from squeezing every drop out of their precious lives either.)
God gave you a gift to serve humanity. Use it.
And I want you to make a lot of money doing it.
👇🏽 What’s your stance on money? What emotions does this conversation bring forth for you? Anger? Betrayal? Relief? I’d love to hear your comments below.
Best,
Renee
Love this piece
“ God gave you a gift to serve humanity. Use it.
And I want you to make a lot of money doing it.”
Hell yeah