[🐝U] Seriously, who cares what they think?!

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Everyone’s got opinions about how you should run your business.

& let’s be honest, most of those opinions come from "crabby” people who’ve never built anything from scratch.

Here’s what they don’t get:
You’re not just running a business.
You’re fighting to keep a dream alive … while juggling bills, self-doubt, time with your family … all without losing your sanity.

Then there’s the other kind of noise … the “experts”
The ones offering sage advice on what they did (& maybe still do)

Here’s the truth:
There isn’t 1 right way to build a business.
You’ve got to build it your way.

Because when you start chasing someone else’s version of success, you lose the spark that made you start in the first place.

& the only real mistake?
Ignoring your gut in favor of someone else’s gospel.

That’s when the real chaos begins … when every voice around you suddenly becomes an “expert” in how you should (or shouldn’t) do things.

… Especially when it comes to money.

“Charge more.” vs “You’re charging too much”

Depending on who you talk to, the first bits of advice you’re likely to hear are:

from your peers: “You need to charge more”
from your prospects: “You need to charge less”

There are SEVERAL ways you can get paid & only 1 involves cash. You can have referrals, testimonials, & bartering.

As long as there’s an exchange that’s mutually agreed upon.

A client is exchanging content writing for cooking lessons.
I once traded marketing advice for free camping & RV repairs.

The point is you want to aim for pricing that’s sustainable & aligned with your life goals … not a benchmark stolen from someone else’s highlight reel.

Obviously, you can’t sustain a business indefinitely on bartering, referrals, & testimonials.

But it’s a good place to start while you build confidence & grow your connections when you’re doing something new.

It’s a slippery slope. I started with a mission & somewhere along the way I was sucked into the income-chasing.

I discovered my mistake when I first hit the 6-figure mark. I thought I’d feel proud. Instead, I felt … nothing.

When I looked back at how I did it, I realized I went off-track. I focused on the money instead of who I wanted to serve & why.

Hitting that milestone wasn’t as fulfilling or rewarding as I hoped.

& once you’ve tuned out the “pricing police”, there’s another myth they’ll throw at you.

This one hits especially hard if you’ve ever heard “aim higher” or “go after corporate clients.”

The “leveling up” urban legend that success means leaving small clients behind & chasing bigger & “better” ones.

You don’t need bigger clients for better impact

I’ve never understood this logic, even though I hear this several times a year.

You don’t need to “graduate” from small clients to earn legitimacy.

I don’t know about you, but to me, that feels like slumming it or paying some sort of guilty amends because of the other clients.

Sure, bigger clients typically mean bigger budgets.
& may not be as “difficult” to work with because they see the value in what you do without nitpicking things to death

From my experience, the opposite tends to be true.

With 1 exception, I had better results & more enjoyment working with the “little guy”

Benefits (I’ve found) working with smaller businesses & start-ups:
→ those that value what you do ARE willing to pay your rates
→ they’re more appreciative of your help
→ they’re more likely to refer / recommend / sing your praises

My “nightmare” clients were the ones that should have been easier.

There’s always “red flags” you can look out for. Sometimes you mistake your gut instinct for imposter syndrome & forge ahead.

That’s OK as long as you learn from experience.

If you want “bigger” clients, work your way to them.
If you want to keep working with the “little guy”, that’s OK too … & it IS possible to earn more with them.

Keep track of their results. When you can show you made them more money than what they paid you, they’re more likely to invest more.

They pay you $1,000 & they get $10,000 back is a no-brainer.
But when they pay you $1,000 & they get back $1,000, it’s NOT break even because you saved them time … how much is that worth?

If your values align more with helping scrappy, growing businesses … own that.

You’re not “playing small” or “practicing” or “stuck”.
You’re building strong foundations that change the course of someone’s future.

But even when you tune out the noise & dodge external pressures, there’s another kind of resistance that creeps in … your own.

“It feels awkward”

Having an email signature, business-centric voicemail, & mentioning your business on social media isn’t pretentious.

It makes you prepared.
You’re building a business.

The sooner you treat your work like a business, the sooner others will too.

That means along the way you’re going to have a business email, phone number, etc.
There’s nothing wrong with adding a ‘business’ signature on your email. Ideally, have a separate 1 for work & business.

Use can also use your voicemail to mention the business. Independent service contractors (like landscapers, handymen, etc) do it.

Honestly, I wish MORE people had more than the generic “leave a message” prompt on their voicemail.

Think about your experience contacting freelancers or contractors.

What goes through your mind when you call a number for business help & DON’T get a business voicemail?
→ did I dial the right number?
→ how serious are they about their business? If it’s just a side-hustle, can I trust them to help me?

Why awkwardness often shows up: friends & family hear your business voicemail & “tease” you.

They may drop some passive-aggressive comments about:
→ “no one sees you anymore” or
→ “what’s wrong with your job - it pays the bills” or even
→ “oh big shot with the professional voicemail”

These people are part of our inner circle. We can’t help but be self-conscious.

But that doesn’t mean you don’t do it because “it feels awkward”

Get buy-in from them.
→ ask them to listen to your voicemail, read your email signature
→ involving them instead of surprising them turns their reactions into support instead of judgement
→ you’re giving them a chance to share their opinion on something you choose.

It’s not some random nonsense they heard from their neighbour’s brother’s best-friend … or “I saw a post on Facebook that says …”

Once you stop cringing at calling yourself a “business owner”, the next challenge is deciding how you want your business to work … for you & your clients.

1 size doesn’t have to fit all

Packages & bundles are easy on baking in your boundaries, but not always best for your client’s needs.

A flat fee for X service eliminates the guesswork, but 1 size doesn’t always fit all.

A client shared a perfect example of this recently.

As a ghostwriter, they’re working with people wanting to get their story published in memoirs. Some clients only have an idea while others are much further along.

They don’t think it’s “fair” to start the same rate for both.
I tend to agree.

Great for you when they’re further along the process, not so great for them in paying for things they can’t benefit from.

& if they feel stuck in having to work with you, regardless of the results, they’ll think twice about working with you again.

Is there a way to justify 1 size fits all pricing in a situation like this?
I don’t think so … but that’s my opinion.

You’re welcome to agree to disagree on that.
& if you do, I’d very much love to learn how you explain the pricing model to your clients.

Because I follow Marcus Sheridan’s They Ask, You Answer framework, having 1 flat fee, regardless of the amount of time/effort you’re putting in, doesn’t make sense (to me)

There should be different rates for different services & timelines.
You don’t have to drown people in options with every variable.
But you can be transparent about your process & pricing so prospects know what to expect without extreme specificity.

THIS is what drives the cost up
THAT is how you can bring it down.
THESE are the differences between us & the competition

The same principle applies to how you spend your time.
Just like pricing, boundaries aren’t about being rigid … they’re about respect.

Time boundaries aren’t pushy … they’re professional

As a service-based solopreneur, you’re trading time for money while you’re getting started. That means when projects run long, you shouldn’t have to “pay” for it by losing the opportunity to work with (& earn money from) other clients.

Establish a timeline & rate. If they go over, they pay more. They may even get relegated to “as time permits” when you’re already committed to another client/project.

Setting expectations isn’t being pushy … you’re being professional.

Communicate & agree ahead of time. Remind them if they’re not holding up their end of the agreement. Stick to the terms of your contract.

The right clients won’t fight your boundaries; they’ll trust you more because of them.

I had a client once that had a very tight deadline to launch a course. We spend hours working on timelines of who did what & when so it was like a relay.

Time ran out. I wouldn’t continue for free. They didn’t want to pay more.

Looking back, I could have done a better job at reminding them of the timelines & stressing what would happen if they didn’t stick to them.

I also could have paid more attention to the red flags before getting started. I overlooked them because I wanted to work on the project.

Boundaries, pricing, professionalism … they’re all pieces of the same puzzle: doing business on your terms.

& that’s the heart of it all … doing business your way.

This time, it’s about YOU

Normally I have a “what’s in it for them?” mantra on repeat.

This is about the only time you can honestly say, it’s not about “them” … it’s about you.

Building a business that feels right for you means rejecting one-size-fits-all advice, even when it comes from people who seem to “know better”

You’re allowed to build slow.
You’re allowed to charge less … or more!
You’re allowed to decide how you define success

Build a business that fits your values, your life, your level of risk tolerance.

You see something worth building … something uniquely yours.
You don’t owe any explanation (or justification) for that.

You don’t owe anyone a justification for how you run your business … as long as it’s legal.
You don’t have to follow advice that conflicts with you who are

So the next time someone tells you how you “should” run your business, ask yourself,

Seriously, who cares what they think?

Here’s your “gut check" list
→ does this decision align with my values?
→ will I be proud of it in a year?
→ am I chasing approval or purpose?

Make it a great “gut-trusting“ week!
EG

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