I help entrepreneurs leapfrog over the typical potholes that derail most small businesses with inspiration, motivation, education, and support across a wide range of business topics drawn from over a decade of running my own business, teaching entrepreneurship for the City of New York, and coaching and consulting privately with dozens of women and minority small business owners. Honestly, why go it alone when help is an email away?
A Worth-y Endeavor
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Hi Reader, I have had a bunch of conversations lately with entrepreneurs who are struggling with one thing or another, which all track back in some way to a question of worth. Just to be clear, worth and value are NOT interchangeable. Worth is inherent. It does not change based on external factors such as market conditions, customer perceptions, length in business, or even audience demand. Your worth, in other words, is not determined by other people's evaluation of you, your products or services, your qualifications, or even your value to them. You must define your worth for yourself! Value, on the other hand, fluctuates and is largely based on perception, assessment, and need. While value resides in others, you have the power to exert tremendous influence over it through your messaging, positioning, and pricing. And, most importantly, in how you show up for people and make them feel. For a lot of us, our self worth is tangled up in how others value and validate us. Do you see yourself in any of these common expressions of deriving worth from others:
In business, these can show up as underpricing your products or services, under-selling your value, allowing customers and clients to dictate the terms of your relationship by not respecting boundaries, terms and conditions, deadlines, and late or non-payment, to name but a few. It's nearly impossible to grow to your full potential without a strong sense of your own worth, distinct and apart from a deep understanding of your value to your audience. If you're thinking to yourself, 'Hmm, I may need to work on this,' of course, I'd love to help you do that. But, honestly, I really just want you to do this for yourself in whatever way makes sense for you. I came across this quote from Brené Brown recently and I think it really gets to why this is so critical, whether or not you're an entrepreneur: Don't walk through the world looking for evidence that you don't belong, because you will always find it. Don't walk through the world looking for evidence that you're not enough, because you'll always find it.
Our worth and our belonging are not negotiated with other people. We carry those inside our hearts.
I know who I am. I'm clear about that and I'm not going to negotiate that with you because then I may fit in for you but I no longer belong to myself. And that is a betrayal I am not willing to make anymore. I can't really say it better than that! PS - If you missed it, last week I talked about how to Cross That Finish Line.
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Easily Said & Done
I help entrepreneurs leapfrog over the typical potholes that derail most small businesses with inspiration, motivation, education, and support across a wide range of business topics drawn from over a decade of running my own business, teaching entrepreneurship for the City of New York, and coaching and consulting privately with dozens of women and minority small business owners. Honestly, why go it alone when help is an email away?
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