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Are any of these common money stories standing in the way of levelling up and growing your business?
Take the quiz and let’s get them under control.
Emma Bowdler
I’m a cheerleader for women and an accountant bursting with personality.
Running a business can sometimes feel like constantly coming face-to-face with every effed up thing you think about money, success, and self-worth. It’s the ultimate crash course in self-discovery, and here’s the kicker: these stories don’t just impact your bank balance, they can also drain your energy, limit your growth, and keep you stuck.
Want to make this the year you stop being ruled by your subconscious, and instead create a business by design with freedom as the bottom line? Then now is the perfect time to drag those sneaky little money stories into the light, see them for what they are (no longer helpful), and upgrade them for something that actually serves you and the life you’re trying to build.
How Money Stories Are Holding You Back
‘Money stories’ are deeply ingrained beliefs about finances, success, and what’s possible, in business and in life. They’re often picked up in childhood, shaped by society, and reinforced by experience. They thrive in the dark, lurking in our subconscious and influencing our decisions, sometimes without us even realising it.
Some are helpful and propel us on to do great things. Others are far…shall we say ‘less helpful’? Basically, they suck and the sooner we get rid of them the better. Regardless, what we know for sure is that we all have them (yes, even accountants…) and if we don’t wrangle them, they rule us—so it’s an important part of your business owner journey, learning how to unravel and rewrite your money stories.
Let’s take a look at some common money stories, how they show up in business, and then figure out how we’re gonna flip these unhelpful bastards on their head.
Five Common Money Stories
for Women in Business
As accountants and business advisers, we’ve heard it all when it comes to money stories. Here are a few of the not-so-greatest hits and what’s *actually* being said…
“I’m not good with numbers”
This is the neapolitan ice cream of money stories—absolute classic. It often starts in childhood (hello, maths class trauma) and grows louder every tax season or any time you start feeling personally attacked by a spreadsheet. In many ways, this money story is so prevalent it’s become more than a story; it’s a generational hand-me-down wrapped in gender stereotypes and tied with a big ol’ bow of imposter syndrome.
What it’s code for →
“I avoid things that don’t come naturally to me and I don’t trust myself to take control of my finances.”
How it might show up in your business:
- Avoiding looking at your books, putting off financial decisions, and staying in a constant state of overwhelm or ‘head in the sand’.
- You struggle to calculate your true costs or profit margins, and then set your prices too low to sustain your business.
- Over-relying on others or palming off all financial tasks to someone else without understanding the basics, which puts you at risk of missing critical details.
- On the flip side, you might spend hours overthinking the numbers without drawing useful conclusions, keeping you stuck in analysis paralysis.
Running a business means you can’t afford to ignore the numbers—but don’t worry, you don’t need to be a finance whiz to make it work either.
Like any skill, it can be learned. You’re already wearing a million hats, solving problems, and making tough calls every day. Handling your finances? That’s just one more thing you’re totally capable of mastering. Trust us, you’ve got this.
🛗 Level Up →
“I can learn the financial skills I need, and lean on experts when I need to.”
“When I have x, then I’ll do y…”
The ol’ ‘someday’ story. Sounds logical at first—waiting until you hit a certain revenue milestone or land more clients before paying yourself, outsourcing, contributing to super, or investing in your business. But the truth? It’s just procrastination in disguise. It’s also what we call an ‘all or nothing’ mentality that allows you to stay safe doing nothing.
Code for →
“I’m not ready to prioritise myself or my business yet, and I’m afraid to take the leap without a ‘perfect’ scenario in place.” Also code for: “I’m not worthy.”
How it might show up in your business:
- You hold off on hiring help, thinking “I’ll delegate when I’m busier,” leaving you stuck doing everything yourself and burning out.
- Skipping paying yourself because “every dollar needs to go back into the business.”
- Holding back on marketing or contributing to super because “I’ll invest in that after I land a few more clients”, potentially losing out on years of the eighth wonder of the world (compounding interest).
- Lax boundaries because you tell yourself you’ll cut back your hours once you’ve “earned the right,” which traps you in a cycle of overwork.
- You postpone creating budgets, forecasts, or even just checking in with your numbers because “I’ll do that when things settle down.”
These procrasti-money stories keep you in a cycle of waiting instead of growing. But here’s the thing: there’s no magic milestone that will suddenly make everything fall into place. Paying yourself or outsourcing isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity for sustainable growth. Paying super isn’t a luxury; it’s how we fund our retirement.
Putting helpful habits in place, even if it’s just a couple of dollars here and there, is how you build momentum. It’s not about making a massive leap overnight—it’s about starting where you are and taking small, consistent steps towards creating a thriving, sustainable business.
🛗 Level Up →
“Anything I can do to prioritise myself and my business today will create the future I want tomorrow.”
“If I work harder, I’ll make more money.”
This may as well be the hustle culture anthem. This story loves to whisper, “If you just push a little harder, take on one more client, or work one more weekend, success will follow.” But grinding yourself into the ground rarely leads to more money—it usually just leads to burnout; burnout disguised as productivity.
Code for →
“My worth is tied to how much I hustle, and rest feels unproductive or even selfish.”
How it might show up in your business:
- Filling every available hour with client work, meetings, and tasks, leaving no time for big-picture strategy or rest.
- Saying yes to every opportunity, client, or project, even when they’re not aligned with your goals or worth the effort.
- You never take holidays, believing that hustle equals success, even as your energy and creativity drain away.
- You chase higher revenue (hello: vanity) by piling on the work without taking the time to figure out if it’s even profitable.
- You take on everything yourself instead of outsourcing or asking for help, or if you do ask for help you micromanage. You struggle to trust others to get things done, so you stay involved in every detail, wasting valuable time on tasks that don’t need your attention.
- You deprioritise rest, exercise, or downtime, thinking it’s a ‘luxury’ you can’t afford until you “make it.”
- You are scared to slow down and just keep pushing forward, worried that if you take a break, you’ll lose momentum or struggle to pick up speed again.
Time for a hard truth: working harder doesn’t always mean earning more. The key isn’t more hours; it’s smarter ones. By focusing on high-impact tasks, setting boundaries, and valuing your time, you create the space for real growth—without sacrificing your sanity.
🛗 Level Up →
“My value isn’t tied to the hours I spend at my desk, but the value I create. Rest helps me be of greater service to myself and to my clients.”
“I can’t charge more, I’ll lose clients.”
This story is otherwise known as the people-pleaser pricing trap. The voice in your head whispering, “If I charge too much, I’ll scare people off,” we hate to say it but…she’s lying to you. This money story is often less about the numbers and more about avoiding uncomfortable conversations around the value of what you offer.
The result?
You work harder for less, feeling trapped in a cycle of underpricing and overdelivering.
Code for →
“I would prefer to be liked than have a frank conversation about my rates.”
How it might show up in your business:
- Underpricing your services and setting rates that don’t reflect the true value of your work.
- Overdelivering to compensate, and going above and beyond for every client because you think you need to justify your rates.
- Attracting far-from-ideal clients, those who only care about the lowest price, not quality or expertise.
- Avoid rate conversations and you feel anxious or apologetic when discussing money with clients.
- Discounting unnecessarily and offering freebies without being asked, preemptively trying to “win over” clients who haven’t even expressed concern about your pricing.
- You never increase your prices because you worry that raising your prices will lead to client backlash or loss.
Underpricing your services and then overdelivering to compensate, leads to resentment and burn out because you’re doing far too much for far too little. It might also mean attracting clients who don’t value your expertise, and every project feels like an uphill battle.
In our experience: the right clients want to pay for quality and will never haggle with you on price. And remember…pricing isn’t just about the dollar figure, it’s a number that reflects the value you deliver. Charging your worth is BS, but charging based on the value you create is a game-changer. Stay out of your customer’s pockets and trust us, you’ll not only attract clients who are a better-fit but you’ll also create the financial breathing room to do your best work.
🛗 Level Up →
“The right clients will value my work and happily pay what I charge.”
“I need to say yes to everything that comes my way”
This story is a clear sign that FOMO is in the driver’s seat; that if you don’t take on this job, this client, or this opportunity, you might never get another chance. It’s rooted in fear—fear of scarcity, fear of missing out, and fear of turning people away. The result? You stay busy but not necessarily productive, spinning your wheels instead of building a business aligned with your goals.
Code for →
“I’m scared that saying no will close doors, so I take on everything, even if it’s not aligned with my goals.”
How it might show up in your business:
- Stretching yourself too thin, working on projects that drain you, and taking on clients who aren’t a good fit just to avoid the discomfort of turning something down (or ‘letting someone down’).
- You end up with a packed schedule but no time or energy for the opportunities that truly excite or grow your business.
- You accommodate every request, even when it conflicts with your availability, workload, or personal life, because saying no feels too risky.
We know it’s tricky, but sometimes saying no is just as powerful as saying yes. By being more intentional with your time and energy, you create more space for the opportunities that align with your goals, values, and worth. You’re not here to be all things to all people—you’re here to serve the right people.
🛗 Level Up →
“Saying no to what doesn’t align gives me more time and energy to focus on what truly matters.”
Taming Those Money Stories
Using the ICRT Method
Unlike that questionable teenage haircut, the good news about your money stories is that you don’t have to stay stuck in them. At The Women’s Accountant, we’ve come up with a way to shine a light on unhelpful money stories and a way to level up your business game.
It’s called the ICRT method (“I See Right Through”), and here’s how it works:
🔍
Step 1: Identify
Like any behaviour or belief change, the first step is figuring out what the eff is going on. Think of it like turning on the lights in a dark room (your mysterious brain).
Sure, it might feel a little confronting at first, even cluttered as hell, but remember, you’ve gotta name them to tame them…
🗣️
Step 2: Call it out
Now it’s time to separate fact from fiction and figure out how these stories are showing up in your daily life. Ask yourself, “Is this really true, or is it just something I’ve always believed?”
Take a hard look at how these stories are shaping your actions. What are they *really* costing you and is that a price you’re willing to pay?
Remember, just because you’ve thought something for years doesn’t mean it’s accurate—or helpful.
🖽
Step 3: Reframe
Here’s where you get to be creative and rewrite your story. A money story isn’t set in stone—it’s just that…a story. Feel free to hit ‘em with a plot twist at any time.
Replace limiting beliefs with ones that align better with where you want to go.
PS: there’s some useful reframes in our quiz below!
▶️
Step 4: Take Action
A new story isn’t enough—you need action to back it up. Reinforce your new wiring with small, consistent steps that align with your upgraded mindset. Maybe that’s raising your rates, automating a savings habit, or outsourcing one task to free up your time.
Because here’s the thing: your business ain’t gonna grow if your mindset is stuck. Taking action builds momentum and shows yourself (and the universe) that you mean business.
Ready to start? Let’s go!
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Take the Money Story Quiz!
Curious about what money story might be holding you back? Take our quick and free Money Story Quiz to uncover the belief standing between you and your next level.
Need Help Wrangling
a Money Story?
Money stories can be tricky little things, but you don’t have to tackle them alone. Thankfully, helping women identify and rewrite the narratives holding them back is kind of our jam.
Book a Bloom and Boom Business Growth Strategy Session today, and let’s get your money stories sorted.
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