Are you secretly playing small with money?
Even the most ambitious, successful women often find themselves trapped in money patterns they cannot explain. In this episode, I reveal five of the most common signs that you are holding yourself back financially and what to do instead.
You will hear:
- The hidden cost of underpricing your value
- Why avoiding your numbers keeps you stuck in fear
- The trap of waiting until you feel ready and how to break it
- How to move from inconsistent income to financial stability
- Why putting yourself last blocks your wealth and what to do instead
If you recognize yourself in any of these signs, you are not alone. These patterns are common, but they are not permanent. Once you see them, you can shift them and step fully into your wealthy self.
Want to go deeper? Join me for the free 5-Day Challenge, Reclaim Your Financial Power, starting October 6. You will discover your Wealth Archetype, release the patterns keeping you small, and take your first aligned wealth move. Reserve your spot before registration closes October 5 at https://webinar.expandyourempire.org/5-daychallangesignuppage
—
Watch the episode here
Listen to the podcast here
5 Signs You’re Playing Small With Money (And How To Step Into Your Power)
Break Free From Hidden Money Patterns That Keep Even High-achieving Women Stuck And Learn Simple Shifts To Reclaim Your Financial Power
Unlock Your Wealth Archetype: Overcoming Hidden Money Shadows
We talked last time about the wealth codes, the archetypes that we have some strengths in, but have some shadows that are holding us back. We’re going to take another deep dive into that in this episode. What are some things that are keeping us playing small? We’re going to get into opportunities to do this together inside of our community. I’m really excited that you’re back here with me. Let’s dig in.
I want you to think, I want you to picture yourself, visualize fast forward a year from now. Imagine you wake up, you check your bank account, and you realize you’re in the exact same financial position that you are in right now. The same income, the same stress, the same patterns. How would that feel? For most of the women I work with, that thought makes their stomach drop because they know deep down that they are capable of so much more, but something just keeps them stuck.
It’s rarely about intelligence, ambition, or effort. Most of the time, it comes down to this handful of sneaky ways that women unknowingly play small with money. In this episode, I’m going to share five of those signs that you’re playing small. As you read, I want you to notice where you see yourself. Not to feel shame, but to feel awareness. Once you see it, you can change it. I’ll give you simple shifts that you can start making right away. Here’s the exciting part. I’m hosting a free five-day challenge called Reclaim Your Financial Power. We are starting on October 6th, Monday, and that is where we’ll go even deeper into this work together. I will share more about that at the end of this episode. Right now, let’s dive into those five signs.
[bctt tweet=”Once you see it, you can change it.” via=”no”]
Sign 1: The Sneaky Trap Of Underpricing Your Brilliance
The first sign that you are playing small with money is underpricing. I know this one personally. I remember sending invoices, proposals that made my stomach turn. On the outside I smiled, but inside I was screaming like, “This isn’t enough. I am giving so much more than this.” I told myself it’s fine. At least they said yes. At least they can afford me. What I didn’t realize then was that every time I undercharged, I wasn’t just undervaluing my work, I was undervaluing myself. I see this all the time with women that I mentor. They convince themselves that keeping their prices low is noble, or it makes them more accessible.
Here’s what really happens. Underpricing doesn’t buy you love. It buys you burnout. When you’re burnt out, no one wins. Not you, not your clients, definitely not your family. Here’s my invitation. Pick one price, just one, and increase it by 10%. That’s it. Not a huge leap, but a signal to yourself that you’re done undervaluing your brilliance because your wealthy self doesn’t apologize for her value. She owns it, she expects it. This is your first step in her shoes.
Sign 2: Why Avoiding Your Numbers Keeps You Stuck
The second sign is avoidant. Be honest, when was the last time you opened your bank account without dread or you looked at your profit and loss statement without wanting to slam the laptop shut? For years, I avoided my numbers. I told myself, “I will deal with it later.” Later never came. Every time I avoided it, the anxiety grew. I was carrying stress that wasn’t even based in reality. It was based on stories that I was making up in my head.
I even worked with a woman. She hadn’t looked at her business numbers in nearly a year. She was convinced she was failing. When we finally sat down together, she was shocked. She was actually profitable, but because she hadn’t faced her number, she’d been living with this unnecessary shame. Avoidance doesn’t protect you. It magnifies this fear.
[bctt tweet=”Avoidance doesn’t protect you; it only magnifies fear. ” via=”no”]
Sign 3: Stop Waiting For Perfect – The Power Of Action In Building Wealth
Here’s your move. Schedule a money date this week. Make it sacred. Light a candle. Pour your favorite drink. Spend 30 minutes looking at your numbers. No judgment, just curiosity because your wealthy self doesn’t hide from money. She faces it. That is where her power comes from. Third sign waiting for safety. Boy do I know this one personally, because I lived it in a big way. A while ago, I invested in a year-long coaching program. It was expensive. It stretched me. I knew deep down it was what I needed.
Here’s what happened. I barely engaged. I kept telling myself, “I will start participating when I have my stuff together. I’ll show up when I feel ready. I will dive in when I finally get caught up.” Excuse after excuse. Think about how crazy that is. I had literally invested in the program because I didn’t have my shit together. That was the whole point. Yet I sat on the sidelines waiting for the day when I’d feel perfectly prepared. That day never came. The truth is it never does. Waiting didn’t keep me safe. It kept me stuck. It kept me from receiving the transformation I had already paid for. I see this all the time with the women I mentor.
They want to raise their prices, but they don’t until they feel confident. They wait to invest until the timing is perfect. They wait to take the next step until they’re sure. Wealth doesn’t grow in waiting. It grows in action. Here’s my invitation. Pick a decision that you’ve been hesitating on and take the smallest step now. Send the email, schedule the call. Beat the price out loud because your wealthy self doesn’t wait until she feels ready. She acts and that’s what creates the confident she’s been looking for.
Sign 4: Building Consistent Income Streams
Foresight. Inconsistent income. Your income looks like a roller coaster. Spend a month, you’re celebrating. Other months, you’re panicking. You work harder, you launch something new, you hustle harder, but it never stabilizes. I had a client who was endlessly creative. She had a new offer every month, each one brilliant, but because she never gave any of them time to stabilize, get traction, her income was unpredictable. She was exhausted from constantly starting over. That is the trap, mistaking creativity for consistency.
Sign 5: Prioritize Yourself – The Foundation Of True Financial Leadership
Wealth does not grow on chaos. It grows in rhythm. Here’s this move. Pick an offer, a service, an income stream, and commit to making it consistent before you add something new. Your wealthy self isn’t on a financial rollercoaster. She’s building a foundation. From that foundation, she can create endlessly. Finally, the fifth sign, you put yourself last. You pay your team before you pay yourself. You spend on your kids, on your partner, on your clients, into the business. When it comes to investing in your own growth, you hesitate.
[bctt tweet=”Wealth does not grow in chaos; it grows in rhythm. ” via=”no”]
I had a client who hadn’t paid herself in over a year. She just told me, “I want to reinvest everything into the business.” What actually happened was she was teaching herself over and over that she didn’t matter. Here’s the truth. Putting yourself last doesn’t serve anyone because when you are depleted, you can’t lead. Here’s your move. Pay yourself first, even if it’s a small amount. It’s not about the number. It’s about the message. Your wealthy self doesn’t wait for permission. She honors herself first, and that is why she has the energy to lead and serve at the highest level.
Reclaim Your Financial Power: Join The 5-Day Challenge
Let’s recap the five signs that you’re playing small with money. One, you underprice your value. Two, you avoid looking at your numbers. Three, you wait until it feels safe. Four, you have inconsistent income. Five, you put yourself last. If you recognize yourself and even one of these, you’re not alone. These patterns are common and they’ve been passed down for generations, and they are not your fault. Now you see them, and when you see them, you can break them.
That’s exactly why I created the Reclaim Your Financial Power Five-Day Challenge. Starting on October 6th, I will walk you through discovering your wealth archetype, breaking through those money blocks, and taking your first aligned wealth move. It’s free, it’s live, and it will change how you see yourself and your money forever. Registration closes October 5th.
If you know you’re ready, go to the link and save your seat because your wealthy self is already waiting for you, and now is the time to step into her. I hope to see you inside of our challenge. I will see you next time here on the show. Thank you for coming back with us, and thank you for coming to Expand Your Empire, and we’ll see you next time.
Important Links