money

11 wisdoms that you can turn into cash…and crazy love

or: WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT THE HUMAN SPIRIT + MONEY ON MY 41st BIRTHDAY

So I did this Pay What You Can Day (hereto referred to as PWYCD) for THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS. On my birthday. Recently. Many people cheered me on for "clever marketing!" And hey, I did come out of the womb with my own press release, but, you know, this wasn't solely driven by a marketing impulse. I love the sentiment of giving gifts on your birthday. Giving feels good on any day. The PWYCD notion came to me just a few days before May 25 and, truly, I thought, Hey, what the hell? If, like 70 people get in on the deal, that'd be sweet. Ha! SEVEN HUNDRED+ e-books later, we lit up the sky with crazy delight and motivation.

What happened behind the scenes:
I went for a salt scrub that morning and when I came up for air to check my iPhone I almost fell off my lounger. Gobsmacked, as the Londoners say. My VA, Dawn and I just about keeled from the comments and the emails. (It took Dawn nearly two weeks to sort out the messages, PayPal invoices, currency exchanges, cheques, and special requests.) I got in my car and had to have a boo-happy-hoo. The stories sent to my personal email address were heart-stretching, sobering, inspiring. The outpouring of love and appreciation was stunning, and (and this is what moved me so deeply,) the spontaneous generosity sparked amongst White Hot visitors, well, that just about did me in. Between the spa steam, chocolate cake, and the PWYCD affection, I was a stun bunny.

It was a life-affirming, wisdom-bolstering, humbling event that ranks in the Top 3 highlights of my career (and birthdays!) Here's what it confirmed:

11 Wisdoms That You Can Convert to Cash + Crazy Love

1. Creativity + Aspiration = INGENUITY. And ingenuity wins, every time.

Make up your mind to make an effort and then make it up as you go.

"Here is a promise and my offer. 1) I will pay this gift forward. 2) I will hold you in the Light with an intention for abundant blessings on you, your family, your ventures, and your efforts to make the world a better place. 3) I'll send you 10% of every payment I receive from every client until the entire $150 is paid off."
- Eydie

"If I sell a painting this week, I'll send you $100. If I don't sell anything, will $41 do?"
- Lisa

2. Initiative and specificity are sexy.

"I've got $37.80 in my PayPal account. It's yours. Right now. (I wish it were so much more.) I will Tweet your praises and send you a full testimonial within two weeks of receiving the book."
- Andi

3. Humility is the inroad to conviction.

The stories of hardship, and resiliency, and exceptional wealth that were so open-heartedly shared with me from women and men in four different countries...well, be still my heart. I had flashbacks to my own days in the New Mexico welfare office after I'd lost three clients in two weeks. I had flash-forwards to my intentions for sweeping financial freedom.

"I am a broke, unfunded graduate student & I work part time and a children's bookstore to feed my belly while I stoke my soul. I'd like to offer $30, a multiple of three, a great fairy tale number. And when my first book is published, you'll be in the Acknowledgments.
- Natasha

"My situation: I am currently unemployed - but am stirred up, expectant, and on purpose. I hope to use your vook to successfully launch a blog of my own. I am most humbled by your generosity and am offering to pay $75 USD."
- Rah

"I'm a single mom of two, getting food stamps, with plenty of ambition and smarts and vision. I'm good for $30 this month."
- Sasha

Sharing your story is the surest way to create a unified field of empathy. And empathy moves mountains.

4. Generous people have more to give.

"Danielle, I'd like to offer $150 but in a spread-the-love way. I'd like to:
1. give $50 directly to you,
2. give $50 to whichever of these (http://u.nu/366pa) Gulf oil spill rescue & cleanup initiatives you'd like me donate to, &
3. give a final $50 on behalf of someone who can't afford to pay anything at all for the sessions because they've done something very brave (like for instance, a woman leaving an abusive relationship with her young kids)"
- Kye

(This gesture of Kye's started a domino affect. We gave out about a dozen Fire Starter Sessions "scholarships" and paired up the donor with the recipient.)

"I would like to humbly offer you $28.44. I know this is not a lot and does not do justice to the work that you have put in to your Fire Starter Sessions. I am offering you this amount because it is the entire amount of extra money that have outside of the finances that I have put aside for rent and other similar things. If you accept my offer, I promise that I will pay it forward and make sure to share both my experience with the Fire Starter Sessions and the generosity that you have shown. I can also send some vegan baked goods your way."
- Lexi

"I would like to offer you $25 for the FSS. In addition, here is my deal to you:
~ Within the next 6 months, I will pay the remaining $125 to pay the full amount.
~ By your 42nd birthday, I will not only book an actual Fire Starter Session with you, but I will also pay another $150 so that someone who either cannot swing today's offer or does not know about it can enjoy FSS, too."
- Mary

"Offering $75 for FSS and $75 for the Gulf clean up efforts - just let me know which one of those charities you prefer."
- CJ

"I can pay $50 for Fire Starter Sessions and in a month or two give another $50 to my friends organization in Haiti on your behalf." Check http://www.fida-pch.org "
- Bronwyn

"I love this idea so much that I'm offering $200. I've had a tab open on your site since you launched, planning to buy when the moment was right. I'd say this is it."
- Oroboros

5. Giving begets giving.

This flipped me right 'round:

"I'd like to gift a copy to my fabulous friend Jo Hanlon-Moores. She is brilliant and funny and talented. And her business is growing from a little acorn. I want to bring her some fire :)"
- Sas Lockey

"I can pay the full amount and am going to because your amazingly generous offer reminded me of just how very lucky we are and we live our lives by these three words - dignity, integrity and love. I hope that by paying in full I can help subsidize a copy for someone else."
- Sophie

"I'd like to give you $100 directly for the Fire Starter Sessions, and $50 to a charity of your choice."
- Melissa

6. You must heed the impulse to give. Generosity is a core muscle that your whole being can move on.

"Today has been full of unexpected gifts and I am now able to increase my offer to $100. Reading the comments in response to your generous offer I am struck by the power of sharing our gifts. I feel so blessed to have this opportunity within my own work, and you've inspired in me a grand vision for an annual pay-as-you-can gift to my extended community."
- Sarah Juliusson

7. When you give people a break, they want to -- and usually will -- go the distance for you.

"I wanted to ask for FSS for $50, but I can actually afford the full price if I'm honest. But your generosity forces me to either pay in full or not at all. Sigh. Stupid freakin integrity..."
- Andrew Lightheart

"I only have about $50 extra bucks a month, but I want to pay the full price because I know it's worth it."
- Sam

"I'd love to pay the full $150, but with the tight spot I'm in, $40 would make my heart smile. I hope that works for you. I'd be honored to pay the balance, or make a donation to charity in your name, once my business is up and running."
- Brian

"I sold three memberships to my small site today, so that's $60. I'd like to offer that as payment for the course right now."
- Magpie Girl

8. Scarcity creates anxiety.

(This fact alone gives me cause to never do another time-sensitive event like this. I'm not saying that I won't but...whoa.) We were bowled over by dozens of emails to this affect: "Did you accept my offer?" Some people left their price offer as a blog comment, then emailed me AND my VA, and also messaged me on Twitter, and in some cases, also left a message on Facebook. The sense of urgency was...urgent! I was shocked, because, in my mind (which of course I expected thousands of people to read), I intended to honour a huge range of offers. Need + want + restriction = urgency. And the tighter the restriction, the more likely that urgency will turn into anxiety.

9. Money makes people get all weird n' stuff.

Money is like a chemical. Some chemicals mix nicely with other chemicals, some don't. With my PWYCD experiment, some folks got downright demando, "I left my comment/offer this morning and I STILL haven't heard back from you." Chill. And I'm not saying to back off just 'cause you got a hot deal (tho' that is a factor,) I'm saying chill because "chill" is generally better for world peace and your complexion. When money and trust occupy the same space, things move forward.

10. Generosity + healthy boundaries clearly communicated = ahhhh.

It's fair to say that in the (now distant) past, I may have had some uh, boundary issues with my giving nature. So although I very clearly stated in the PWYCD announcement: "This offer expires at midnight PST May 25, just like my birthday does. And I'm serious about it." I was still fretting about the possibilities of pleading, after-the-fact requests. But I only got a couple of such requests and they were so gracious and dignified and sincere, that it was a total (healthy) pleasure to honour them.

11. Humanity is, on the whole, generous, loving and kind. People want to give.

And when you operate on that foundational premise, you are actively allowing amazing things to happen.

QUESTIONS?
I'm opening up this conversation to answer any questions about the behind the scenes happenings, technological do's and snafus, emotions, and outcomes of the PWYCD extravaganza. Let 'em fly!

And...thank you.

Ever true,

. . . . . . . . .

$150 for the full-tilt FIRE STARTERS SESSIONS love.

And! $5 from every copy goes to the charity you choose:
The Acumen Fund or Women for Women International

Click here to view the full
Table of Contents!

 

fire starter profile: Financially Smitten’s Lora Sasiela

Lora Sasiela is the founder of Financially Smitten. We did a Fire Starter Session last year and I was truly impressed with her knowledge (she's a psychotherapist by training and trade) and spirit (she's on a full tilt mission to help women make and manage real money.) When she launched her new site and workshop line up, my immediate reaction was, "yesss!" I smiled big and thought to myself, "She did it right, and she did it sassy." Read on for a dose of sage advice that you can take to the bank.

1. Cocktail line:
I'm on a mission to put the femme in finance. You know how so many women are scared about money and think that if they don't deal with it, it will just magically go away or somehow take care of itself? Well, I take them by the hand, and using a proven blend of financial therapy and money coaching am able to support them in creating a conscious and empowered relationship with money. Through this transformative work they are able to kiss their financial heartache goodbye and start rocking their money mojo.

2. Best lesson:
Be careful what you share with whom. (more...)

 

fire starter profile: tara-nicolle nelson, rethink realestate

My Fire Starter clients are...on fire, of course. From RealEstate, to design, to culture jammers, they've got the goods and they're here to share them.

1. Cocktail line:
I'm a real estate broker and attorney by training, but what I really do is create content that feeds the informational cravings of smart women who want to live prosperous lives, and know that being a smart property owner is one way to do that. My main media for consumers are books, webinars and live events. But I also use those same media to help our corporate clients deliver their marketing messages to women real estate consumers.

For example, I've created about 200 articles, tutorials and video webisodes for HGTV's listing website, FrontDoor.com.

Oh - and I also train real estate professionals who want to attract women homebuyers and -sellers into their businesses.

2. Best lesson: (jumbo mistake, repeated learning - the hard way.)
Gurus are everywhere. I honor the failed relationships - business and personal - in my life because of the lessons I've learned.

3. Smartest money spent:
My first home. Law school tuition. Losing a home to foreclosure (the lessons were oh-so-worth it.) (more...)

 

life is subject to change: what happened when I raised my rates

I announced via Twitter and Facebook last week that my Fire Starter Session fee was moving to $500 (from $300.) And I also mentioned it in my post that went out late last night. And then...

Deluge. Chuck wagon outta control. Four-alarm fire. Standing room only.

I've been wrestling with how to handle the gorgeous demand. And my conclusion is this: I need to handle the demands of my heart and loved ones first, then career (which is an extension of my heart.) The profundity of that statement for me is colossal. It's taken me yearrrrs to be able to say it and mean it. Before I grew up (which is really just in the last few weeks, actually,) I would have tried to fit everyone in, even if it meant weekends, and getting a baby sitter, and apologizing to my man because, once again, "I'll be in my office tonight."

And in this case, I almost went there. I adore my Fire Starter clients and I'm so passionate about entrepreneurs rocking it with integrity, that I was leaning toward booking into spring 2015 at my old rate and "fitting it all in somehow." Why? Because I don't want you to think I'm a discompassionate bitch. Because money is fun. Because I used to think self neglect was cool. (It's not.)

The logic and love of raising my Fire Starter session fee:

a) It's worth it. (Any clients who want to chime in on this, uh, feel free to back me up here.)

"Danielle’s Fire Starter session is invaluable for you at any stage of your career --from early idea to well established rut. She is thorough, quick and intuitive. Her soft spoken style is deceptive. This woman won’t mince words to let you know what you need to hear. And you will be better for the listening. Her questions alone are priceless, but add the brainstorming, cheerleading, taped session and list of resources and you can’t go wrong."
- Ten People to Rock Your Career in 2010
CoachSpotlight.com, Pearl Mattenson

b) 2010 is all about creating content that can serve many thousands of people. I need focused time to do that. I love writing in long, long stretches, getting absorbed, and consumed, and used up by the gods of poetic sound bites and how-to's. I need space to make stuff that will be effectual and lasting ... and sell like white hot cakes!

c) I want to live more. Repeated late nights "catching up" on things leaves you with the feeling that you are always needing to...catch up.

d) I'm keeping it pointed to where I want it to go: creativity, freedom, passive income, wider broadcasting, multimedia. (I'll talk more about how my Hedgehog allows me to stay so focused on this next week.)

All that to say:
My $300 Fire Starter slots are (more than) full, and effective immediately, I'll be booking in at $500. Email me directly to book your session.

Further clarity:
I work exclusively with active and progressive entrepreneurs, or those on the verge of breaking out with their own enterprise. I am not a business or career transition coach (read: I suck at it.) I’m a High Priestess of Practicality and I'm about standing ideas up in the most elegant, kick-ass way possible. Strategy makes me hot.

When in-transition job folk or people who want continual coaching to lift a project off the ground come to me, I steer them to the following coaches. Each of them is amazing.

: Lianne Raymond is a clear-thinking, strong-hearted, Martha Beck-certified coach. Only works with women.

: Ronna Detrick has "renegade conversations." She is spiritually-based and powerful.

: Tanya Geisler is a strong and compassionate...and funny.

: Dyana Valentine is a brilliant force of nature who has kicked my creative butt into shape. She's gifted, I work with her regularly.

: Michelle Ward at When I Grow Up Coach is a high energy Gen Y'r focused on getting people to their best career.

: Hiro Boga is a masterful intuitive. Not a coach or business developer, but gifted at surfacing the issues that may be blocking success. I recently had a session with her and it was stunning.

If you're a coach and you want to say so here in the comments, feel free to do some self-promo. Today, I welcome it.

If it's apropos, take a page from my book. What do you value and what's the value you give? How can your career support your life? Are you pointed in the direction you want to go?

With much Love,
Danielle
xo

 

burning questions with adam baker, debt ass-kicker + frugalmeister

Transparency makes me giddy. And simplicity makes me swoon. Ergo, my crush du jour: Baker. Adam Baker. Want to know how much money he really makes? He and his wife will give you the bare details. Want to know what he thinks about religion and money? He'll tell ya. This guy is so radically transparent, he'll even show his love handles. He's the ManVsDebt. Champion of frugality, accountability, and fat burning.

1. What is your purpose for money?
I want to dominate it. I want to be 100% debt-free, owe not one person a single cent. I want to have enough of it to not need anymore of it. I want it to be able to empower my other dreams, not restrict them. And I don't want to wait 40 years.

2. What questions in your life had the biggest impact?

• Today, if your doctor called and informed you that you had 24 hours left to live...what did you miss?
• Who did you not get to be?
• What did you not get to do?

3. What do you know to be true, unquestionably beyond doubt, certain with every cell of your being, completely, passionately, righteously certain?
Nothing. I'm always trying to learn and always trying to evolve. Certainty can be a blessing and a curse. I will give you this, I know I am extremely fortunate. I have a beautiful, healthy wife and daughter. I've always had access to food, water, shelter. I am CERTAIN that I am lucky and there are those far, far less fortunate in the world.

4. What book(s) are you always telling people to read?
I only try to refer people to books that have really, really had an impact on me:
Your Money or Your Life - Radically jolted my views on money (more...)

 

Secrets of the Millionare Mind, Harv Ecker

cheesy but effective