Email Confession: Our Money Challenges

I want to send you my sincerest thanks for your support in response to my wake-up call post.

Not only did I get connected with a best-selling author and a business attorney, but I also received emails from other women who could relate to my situation in some shape, form or fashion.

The more we own our truth, the more empowered we become.

I've decided to start sharing these stories here - anonymously.

If  there's a lesson to be learned, I'll share that too. Here goes:

 "Just read your article....

 us and our money challenges.

my issue is my parents never taught me how to manage it and i am suffering greatly. when (significant other) managed my accounts it was awesome - paid my bills on time, had some in IRA, some in savings, some in CD's, a little for fun. But when I stopped working and went to start my business that is when I really needed him but he said no, I needed to do it myself. I look and while i didn't have tons of money pass through my hands, I had enough to make something happen. Now 5 years later my contact lady in the government retired (actually the 2 main ones I worked with) and I did not get my contract renewed. So I am literally reminded everyday of how everything comes from nothing. I have 'survived' for 3 months without money, actually bringing myself to hustle small gigs here and there to build up the money a little at a time. it gets depleted by the end of the month on bills but I feel happy i am moving past my money fears. I use to hate going out to ask for money or negotiate contracts. i could never close them. but since i have been in (new region)  i have been doing pretty good. i think it is a psychological thing with (significant other) telling me i am not an entrepreneur, i am artist. he says i don't make money i make cool things. anyway, i am reading and learning and will see if i can find some suze orman segments on you tube.

At last glance, my paypal and checking accounts are looking kind of light this month as well and after next week when my march bills come out on autopay will be pretty much depleted :-P

I moved the last of my savings over last week, leaving the minimal amount to keep my account open. I canceled a lot of my recurring services, domains I don't need etc. I need to restructure my day. I spend 4 hours a week on Social networks, which is not bad but I need to be more focused with my time there. Following Chris Brogan's advice with one screen open and nothing happening in the background. I spend 4 hours a day on email (trying not to send too many messages in this length....which you are the exception). But most are rants and have resulted in only a very small return on my efforts (for as much time as I put there). I think I need to move more to the face to face realm and I also need to write more and actually put my content out there. I actually have produced more content, I just never put it out at a regular time. The other thing I fail to do is send out MORE press releases and engage the media. I have been speaking here, hosting workshops etc. But I need to build a list of the people who have been writing about me and build a more targeted list for business writers. Maybe you and I can make that our project. I will give up an hour of my email time to build a media list. And aside from press releases we should be sending them articles so that we can get published in larger print publications. We need more visibility to a larger targeted audience in our respective demographics. Few people in the (old region) know what I am doing but they should!"

MY TWO CENTS:
 

• Diversify - just as you diversify your investment portfolio, the same goes for your business. In one of the many business books I have, I read somewhere that a speaker bragged about how much money he made with one client who consistently hired him..I think it was IBM. When they had cutbacks, guess what? His primary source of income dried up and he eventually lost the contract. In today's economy and job market, employees need to adopt an entrepreneur mindset. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Find a way to make some money on the side - BEFORE you need it.

• Your Money is Your Responsibility - while having a significant other (or someone else) in your corner who feels that taking control of your finances is doing you a favor, it's not. It's doing the exact opposite. You'll never learn the value of it unless you're the one building/developing the relationship with it. Get intimate with your money - embrace it, communicate with it openly and honestly - just like you do your significant other.

• Time is a Precious Resource - treat it as such. Stay put...I'll be ranting about this shortly. Do you find yourself spending more time on email than you'd like? READ THIS.

Go ahead...add your two cents below.


Photo: Barbara Bedoni