How cash flow challenges kill your creativity
Posted in "Fly on the wall" coaching moments, Entrepreneurial mindset, Inspiration and tagged with Business Fears, cash flow challenges on 09/13/2009 03:59 am by ThereseDo you realize the cost of having financial scarcity in your business? Beyond the obvious, what I see is that it costs you so much more than you even realize.
It happened to a recent client of mine .
He had contacted me after being referred for coaching by my friend Jen Blackert. He knew that he needed to have a mindset breakthrough, because he was stuck. This man previously had two professional careers, but had left those to pursue his dreams of being an Internet marketer. But after six months, he was broke. He had done all the Law of Attraction work, visualizations, affirmations, and everything he needed but still was struggling with not having enough money to pay his bills.
He came asking for some coaching, but when I asked “What is it that you want to accomplish if we work together for six months”….he couldn’t answer. All he could do was wallow around in what hadn’t worked, where he was stuck, and didn’t have any idea of what to do next.
See, the problem was that all he could focus his energy on was what what he wasn’t getting. He could not get any clarity around his goals, or what would have to happen if he were able to have the breakthrough that he was seeking. I work with lots of people here when they first get started with me. They tend to spin around in the same possibilities that they know right now… as opposed to being able to break free and create something that they would really love.
In his frustration the man said, “Maybe I should just get a part time job to get some of these bills paid.” Now as a die-hard entrepreneur, the thought of a job is not the first thing I ever think of. In my mind there is always some way of creating a solution. But in his case, after I had asked him what he wanted to create/accomplish/achieve, and he was completely focused on the lack, I decided to explore what this would be like for him.
We put it as an option on the table. I said, “OK, imagine you get a part time job that brings in say…$1000 a month, what is different now?” This is where my mind-blowing surprise came in - suddenly he knew what he wanted to work on! He “remembered” that he had really wanted to start a membership site, “knew” what his goals were and exactly where he wanted to be in six months. Instead of being unfocused and having flat and draggy energy, he now became animated and could see a million new possibilities he didn’t have access to just 5 minutes before.
It was in that moment that I saw that his cash flow challenges were the thing that blocked his movement forward. His constant focus on his problems interfered with his ability to create. And I learned a huge lesson. I think there is an “entrepreneurial arrogance” about never having to resort to getting the dreaded J-O-B. But his commitment to the entrepreneurial dream was also the very thing that was preventing him from getting it! When we opened the door to just taking a short job for 90 days to plug some of the cash flow leaks, he then was able to move into a place of creating his dream.
Lesson learned! Do whatever it takes to get out of wallowing in what you don’t have and shift your energy into moving forward.
Here’s to your success……


September 13th, 2009 at 4:13 am
That post was packed with lots of breakthru energy. I am one of those die hard entrepreneurs who would rather “fight than switch” when it comes to getting even a part time job. However there is more than one way to create relief in this situation. One just has to be creative.
At one time I was actually able to trade rent for coaching – yeah, who’d a thunk it! And that one tiny change in my financial responsibility lifted a huge burden and opened up a creative gusher and several new streams of income.
It’s important to realize that there are many more choices that we might first realize. That’s why a coach is so helpful when new options need to be discussed.
September 13th, 2009 at 4:34 am
There is also a completely different kind of person – one that for who the wolf at the door STIMULATES the creativity. They are interesting types too. Spent time with one just last week.
September 16th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Thanks Dave and Melody for your great ideas.
How cool to trade for rent!
I have traded for a vacation rental, loads of personal services, and think its a good way to go. (Of course you have to have really clean agreements around this.)
Dave – do you think that wolf at the door is a stronger motivator for men? I wonder if a man’s more “got get ‘em” attitude is more challenged when survival is at stake. I’d love your perspective on the gender aspect to this.