Dear everyday entrepreneur...you are not a cheapskate.

You are not a cheapskate if your next move involves cutting costs, or choosing the cheaper or even free alternatives, and I want to share with you why.

If your next move, doesn't involve spending more money, breaking the bank, or even worse, going into debt. It doesn't mean you're a cheapskate. And it definitely doesn't mean you're not investing in yourself. Making decisions in your business that makes it holistically sustainable for all areas of your wellbeing, includes making money calls, that feel fantastic and expansive. IS investing in yourself, and knowing your true self-worth.

I've worked with a number of creative, passionate, impact inspired entrepreneurs recently who have felt guilty for not wanting to break the bank on a decision or solution. Or finding a cheaper, affordable, or even free solution for their next move. Very recently I was working with,

E. C. Hibbs

, an amazing creative self-published fantasy author. She's incredible, go and follow her. Anyway, She needed a new way to write newsletters and send them out, to be in line with the new email rules.

When we started working together, she was about to spend a chunk of money, including a monthly fee, for a solution which she didn't actually feel fully comfortable about. This wasn't just because of the money, it was also because it felt like more time and effort and would possibly take away from her writing. When we got to the root of the problem, she wanted a simple email/newsletter that was easy, simple and would integrate into what she was doing now, and work with the new email rules.

Emma also has a main focus on money and funds she gets to put into purchasing physical copies of her books. This is so she can sell them at fairs and conventions, and this woman is always selling out. When we focussed on the solution of newsletters, I suggested Substack and that it was completely free. That it had more options and freedom than her current paid solution. Plus has subscription opportunities she could get paid herself.

Having a solution that was perfect, and just happened to be completely free, with the possibility to open her up to more people joining the community, was perfect. It's also really easily accessible, too. Then this is where she almost apologetically took a moment to explain that she wasn't a cheapskate because this was a free solution and saving her money. Something I'd not even thought of, I was just excited about finding a perfect solution - that just happened to be free too.

We had a moments pause and conversation of where this was coming from. We talked about the fact that she'd been in mentoring spaces that had talked about how much you were willing to invest in yourself. It was about spending money, and the more money you were willing to spend equated to how much you invested in yourself. I think this is one of the greatest myths. Emma, has loved this solution and called it a godsend, and a lifesaver! That's enough.

The problem is the forever scaling, forever investing in yourself culture. Will you believe that if you're not breaking the bank, or worse going into debt, with your next decision then you aren't successful, or wanting to be successful, or truly investing in yourself. It's just rubbish. In fact, investing in yourself is about going all in at every level, energetically. That's where we should start from, the rest doesn't matter. If a solution that feels good and happens to be free, even better.

I've also experienced this in my own journey too. 4 years ago I started my podcast with completely free solutions. Anchor, now known as Spotify for podcasters, and I love the accessibility and pick up and record nature. I went all in on my inspired moment to start a podcast, 4 years on there is no need to change this process. In fact, with their brand-new Riverside.fm integration has levelled up its own game, and means even less need to change to anything else.

In fact, that very first season was all about going all in on yourself energetically, and I integrated it into an audio collection I put together called take the leap.

Being an everyday entrepreneur is about creating a life and business which positively impacts your life, as much as other people's. This means creating a life and business that is holistically sustainable on every level, feels good on every level, and expansive. That includes understanding the nuances of money and the role it plays in all of that, and that doesn't make you a cheapskate.