Hey, Stop Charging What You’re Worth

This whole online entrepreneur bubble is ready to bleeping burst.

I get it, okay? You, as a human being, are worth infinity dollars. You — as a human being — are worth $12k a day, and 6 figures a month, and 18-foot yachts.

But what is your work worth?

What is the actual return on investment your clients can loosely expect from you once they fork over the cash?

That is how you structure pricing.

After kicking down the door like the Kool-Aid man to online entrepreneurship about 7 years ago, I’ve watched the swell of new people cutting their teeth with online business — and then I’ve watched them disappear into the ether.

Why?

Because some meme on Instragram told them to “Charge what you’re worth!” and they hit the ground running with giant claims and even bigger pricetags — and then couldn’t follow through. (Fact: Letting people down repeatedly and consistantly tends to set bridges ablaze.)

Susan is all: Sell out your course by taking my course! It’s only $1,498!

Then Ricky says: Learn to run a 6-figure business in my coaching mastermind! It’s only $2,497 a month!

And even Rachel can’t help but say: 10x your Instagram following while you shit on the toilet! It’s only $7,947!

The thing is that Susan, Ricky, and Rachel probably aren’t even getting these results for themselves.

I’ve worked with Susan. I’ve fired Susan. Because Susan is selling courses about selling out courses — when I can see that Susan has never actually sold out one of her courses.

I’ve worked with Ricky. I’ve fired Ricky. Because Ricky is “making 6 figures a month” by teaching you how to make 6 figures in a month — and I can see that Ricky isn’t actually making 6 figures a month.

And I’ve worked with Rachel. I’ve fired Rachel. Because Rachel is teaching you how to grow your Instagram following — when I can see that Rachel only has 197 Instagram followers of her own.

Guys, I once fired a client who switched to cryptocurrency on a dime, because she said, “It was another way to make quick money without screwing over people’s feelings.” Some of these people are even aware that they’re doing it.

It seems to be that a lot of these folks who preach “charging what you’re worth” are the same people who make a ton of cash in 3 months, and then fall off the face of the earth.

The thing about charging too much money is that you end up using people, and used people don’t become repeat customers.

So, what’s “too much” money? (I know, that phrase is laughable.)

Too much money is money that only serves you, and stops serving your clients. Hard stop.

Just because you can charge $12,000 a day for coaching and someone will pay it, doesn’t mean you should. Can you actually count on getting that client back the $12k in ROI because you’ve done it for others? Do you have actual data that shows your track record of results? Because if not, you’re taking advantage of them.

Or did you give yourself a pep talk in the mirror, text your best gal pal, and then decide: What the hell — I’ll see if they’ll pay it?

Just because people will pay doesn’t mean they should have to. Owning a business isn’t about making the most amount of money in the least amount of time.

It’s about helping people WIN by sharing your expertise. Sometimes that expertise warrants higher price points, but sometimes you’ve just got to chill and stop being such a goddamn diva.

I’m not saying do spec work, or charge $12 for a project that took 7 hours.

I’m talking about the people who start charging $1,000 per coaching call on Day 1 — without the experience and training to justify it. Real talk? I’ve had my hands in one of Nike’s most viral ad campaigns to date, and I charge $175 for an hour call.

I’ve had clients brag about their customers needing to take out second mortgages to join their masterminds — but then not pay my invoices. Uh?

Do any freelancers even make 6 figures in one month? Or one year? Yeah, sure, of course. I’ve been running a sustainble 6-figure business for about 4 years now. But the money feels like a side effect of doing the unsexy work that comes with serving my clients to the very best of my ability.

I’m terrified to get shouty about the industry like this. There’s always the worry that my opinions will talk me out of a job. But honestly, I don’t want to work with the folks who are offended by this, anyhow.

Give me the people who are about big-picture growth. Walking their walk. Paying their invoices. And showing up to improve the lives of the people around them — not harvest hope for the sake of quick cash.

So many of these people are just as desperate as you are to prove themselves, feel successful, and pay rent. The only difference?

They’re really good at lying about it.

To those who “won’t get out of bed for less than eleventy kabillion dollars” — awesome, that’s their perogative.

They just can’t be surprised when they never get out of bed.