How do you define success, mama?

Do you think about how much money you bring in each month?

How many hours you work each week?

How much you get done in a day?

Well, let me tell you how your CLIENTS define success: by the results you deliver for them.  

Now, we’re going to dig into an unpopular opinion. You might get mad when you hear this. You might want to unsubscribe and go soothe yourself with inspirational quotes from Pinterest and find a Facebook group where you can talk about how mean I am. 

That’s cool — I’m well aware that not everyone agrees with me. 

But. 

Inspirational quotes and vision boards and your commitment to working 2 hours a week will not pay the bills, Mama.

You are only as good as the work you produce for your clients. 

You’re running a business here. 

And (this is the unpopular opinion part) people telling you to “charge what you’re worth” may not have your best interests at heart. 

Now, let me be super clear about a few things.

1. I want you to make a LOT of money doing work you love.
2. When you first start out, you might not have a lot of experience.
3. You have to EARN those high paying clients by showing up and delivering VALUE.

If you’ve just discovered the wonderful world of freelancing (and it truly is a wonderful world), you’re probably pretty darn excited. 

You’re getting PAID to manage email, to schedule appointments, to edit photos. It’s AMAZING.

At some point, you might start to crave… a little more. You see people around you selling courses or coaching others and you think, “Huh. I want that.” That’s normal — and totally awesome.

BUT.  If you spend all your time and effort working on the course you want to launch or planning for your new coaching business, that’s time you’re NOT spending on the work your clients are paying you to do — which is NOT going to work out well. 

If you’re being paid to create graphics or schedule social media posts or write copy or organize an inbox, and you find yourself resentful of that work, that’s on you.  

You took on those clients. 

You accepted the terms. 

You didn’t set clear boundaries. 

It’s not okay to simply stop showing up or to do shoddy work. 

If you’re unhappy handling clients and want to move on to the next phase of your business, then be a grown up businesswoman.

TALK to your clients. Put a bow on your final project, and hand over your responsibilities in a responsible way. 

Whew!

That was a lot, and I guess it was weighing on me pretty heavily. 

I don’t mean to scare you away — and this email might not speak to where you are in the journey AT ALL. 

But I’ve been in that place. I’ve been in the place where my client work didn’t fill me up in the same way it used to, and so I recognize it when I see it in others. 

You didn’t come this far, and build this life and reputation and business to tear it down with resentment.

Show up. Be a grown-up. And keep the focus on the results you deliver.

P.S. Are you ready to start or level up in your business? Free Mama LIVE has EVERYTHING you need, whether you’re a beginner OR an experienced Free Mama, and today is the LAST DAY to sign up and get a gift basket mailed to you ahead of the event. Don’t miss out!

P.P.S. Did you know you can get PAID to proofread? It’s true!! Head to the latest episode of FreeMamaTV to learn more!