*This is part 3 in the series. If you haven’t read part 1 or part 2, please read them first. (BTW: my community is going bananas over this series 🍌 🍌. I’m getting a lot of, “You go girl! It’s high time someone gave money the spiritual smack down it deserves!” I’m happy to comply 😘)
* Please note: Adult language & themes used in this email.
Today is about how you don’t need to have lots of money to be wealthy. You just need to learn how to be smart with your money.
Before we dive in, here’s a quick recap of what we’ve talked about so far:
a) Us spiritual folk are confused—for a lot of reasons—when it comes to money. It’s important to understand why, and then move on. (Need a refresher on this? Head to part 1 of the series.)
b) When we move on and embrace that money (and wealth) is spiritual, we’re then able to bring peace and plenty not only to ourselves and our families, but also to people less fortunate than us. We become powerful spiritual change agents in the world. (In part 2 we explored this.)
c) Spiritual wealth is about having money for soul-based reasons. To feed your family, provide for their safety and comfort, enjoy your life, fund your hobbies and creative talents, and give back to the world. Versus ego-based reasons, which is needing it so other people will think of you as better, smarter, more beautiful, more successful, and so on …
In this series, I’m helping you embrace money for soul-based reasons.
Today, we’re talking about the online world, social media, and metrics.
Even if you aren’t an entrepreneur, or run an online business, if you’re a yoga teacher, a kinesiologist, a naturopath, a coach, a beauty therapist, or run an organic supermarket, this email is for you!
Because it’s likely that you’re online, with either a website or social media. (Probably both.)
It’s the way of the modern world … Which also means you’re probably subject to a lot of online metrics.
A lot of numbers, dollar signs, and figures flying about.
People on Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, or on their websites and blogs talking about how much money their making from their launches or courses, or what their “incomes” are for the year.
You need to learn to get savvy to all online metrics because it’s bringing you and your money vibe down.
Let me explain why.
The Difference Between The Gross & The Net
Do you know the difference between gross income and net income?
Your eyeballs might be hitting the roof right now, thinking, “C’mon, Belinda, of course I do. It’s accounting 101.”
But do you?
I bet you do when it comes to your own taxes.
When your accountant calls, or you get a letter from the government saying, “Heh, time to lodge your tax return!” and you’re staring at a pile of old receipts and invoices, hurriedly sorting them out and then crunching those numbers to work out your business and work expenses for the year.
Yep, you know about it for yourself.
But when other people are talking about the $2 million launch they just had. Or the $60,000 coaching services packages they’ve just sold.
Is your brain registering they’re talking about their gross earnings, and not their net earnings??
In Case You’re Aren’t Super Clear …
… what the difference is between the gross and the net (don’t feel ashamed if you aren’t), let me walk you through it:
(I’m talking in terms of running a business, not being an employee.)
a) The gross income is what money you make, without your expenses or taxes taken out. It’s that nice (or nicer) looking number before you take out your business or work related expenses.
b) The net income is what you’ve earned after you’ve taken out your expenses + taxes. (You also still have daily living expenses to take out of your net income.)
I’m sure you’re super clear about the difference between the gross versus the net in your own life. (Because isn’t it depressing to watch all that hard work we put into making $$, dwindle away when our expenses come in and chomp into it.)
But I betcha you aren’t so savvy about it when it comes to online metrics and the numbers people are throwing around and bragging about in the online space.
When people say they had a $2 million dollar launch, that sounds really fancy smancy, right?
But you don’t know how much was left over at the end of the day?
What their net earnings were? And then after that, after they paid all their living and daily life expenses, what their true earnings really were?
What was really left over once all of this was taken out.
These are the metrics people aren’t talking about.
Feel Like A Dummy Because You Didn’t Think Of This Before?
Don’t!
Marketers and advertisers rely on you not to give it much thought. For your brain to not really register the difference between the gross and what is really left over at the end of the day.
Your brain hears a super impressive number and goes, “Oh, wow, I want me some of that!”
But, truth is, you don’t know how much of it is left over at the end.
I Got Successful. I Got Depressed
For several years I earned in the high end of 6 figures. Suddenly my online school got successful, and more money was coming in.
But the first year, I didn’t have my money stuff sorted and I didn’t realise (I didn’t really register) that it meant I would be paying much more tax.
I didn’t put the extra tax aside. So you can imagine my horror when I got my tax bill. (I had to do a mad scramble to make up that money.)
Next year, I was much more savvy to the tax and expenses side of it, but there were still a lot of expenses …
On paper, Belinda Davidson International Pty Ltd gross earnings looked super impressive.
But when you took out the expenses and everything (paying out 4 team members’ wages, big online systems + services bills, the tax, etc.), what was actually left, was still substantial … but substantially smaller.
I’m the breadwinner in the family. Mine was the only wage coming in.
Also, take out rent, travel expenses, family expenses, and, you know, all that daily living stuff we have to pay for because we’re human beings in a modern world, and it really starts to add up.
I kept earning more and more, the following years. Higher and higher, into the top of the top end of six figures, but I was also shouldering more and more responsibility.
(And when you start to earn more money, people around you, like your financial advisors and accounting firm, suddenly seem to find more ways you need their help. They see $$ when you walk through the door. Not hatin’ just sayin’.)
The more money I made, and the more I became a CEO, the unhappier I became.
Please Know, I’m Not Saying …
… I won’t earn in the high end of 6 figures (or possibly in the 7 figure range) in the future. I embrace money and wealth.
I’m saying that—for me—the way in which I was making money (being a CEO) and the burden of responsibility I felt and the constant pressure to bring home the bacon for many other people, made me unhappy.
It took me further away from what I love to do most. Which is to write, meditate, give live events, and connect with people.
Also, where I’m currently at on the wheel of life, I have zero interest in running and managing a team.
Right now I’m focused on developing my craft as a writer and poet, healing, owning our house outright, staying scaled back. Living simply and quietly.
I’m telling you this because when someone says they earn in the high end of 6 figures it doesn’t mean it’s Disneyland.
It can mean a slow train to Misery Town.
Don’t Compare Yourself To People’s Gross Earnings …
… or whatever they say they’re earning.
Comparing yourself to online metrics is like rolling out of bed in the morning, scraping the sleep from your eyes, grabbing a copy of Vogue and feeling down on yourself because you don’t look like the model on the front cover first up in the am.
Wtf?!
Everything about this is soooooooo wrong:
a) They’ve taken a gazillion pics to get that one perfect front cover shot.
b) The best makeup artists + hair people in the world have worked on that model.
c) She’s a model. It’s her job to have perfect bone structure. (And she’s probably 14.)
d) Professional studio lighting makes her skin and eyes look perfect.
e) She’s photoshopped to the high heavens.
But, that’s what a lot of us do with online metrics …
We read that such-and-such made X amount of $$ with their launch / course / coaching package / organic snail farm, and we roll into a ball and cry or beat ourselves up that we can’t manifest that amount of money. Or we think something is askew with our abundance-o-metre.
Do yourself (and the world) a favour, and start to ignore or get savvy to online metrics! They’re telling you diddly squat!!
Instead focus on yourself, and on sorting out your own money issues.
Please Know …
… I’m not saying that everyone who shares their metrics or earnings has bad intentions, is faking it, or is doing the world a disservice.
They aren’t.
What I’m trying to point out is that when people are telling you about how much money they make, they’re most likely talking about their gross income.
It’s best then to ignore metrics because this is no indication whatsoever of what their money or financial situation is truly like.
The only way we can really know what’s going on in a person’s money life is if they were to show you their tax returns and bank accounts.
If we had access to everything about their personal lives.
Things like, how many mortgages are they paying off? How much have they borrowed to start their business? How many people are they paying to run their business? How much debt do they have, in both their business and personal lives? What are their spending habits, and so on?
What’s actually left when everyone and everything has been paid?
What’s left over for them to save, invest, build wealth, and also spend on vacations or life’s luxuries?
I Doubt They’d Grant You That Access
And I don’t blame them.
I draw the line here, too.
I openly share a lot of stuff. But I’m not about to hand over my private accounts to people.
I don’t want the world to know how much I spend per annum on personal hygiene products, mouth wash, and large rainbow-coloured dildos. (The last item is fictitious. An attempt at smutty, sacral chakra humour to make sure you’re staying grounded with me and not drifting up into your higher chakras.)
I believe in a humane, decent level of privacy in today’s world which seems to constantly invade our privacy.
Because the solution to this problem isn’t poking around in other people’s money bees wax, my advice is simply to be savvy to all online metrics.
And to always remember: It’s what’s left over that counts!
I’m Not Going To Pretend …
… I’m some business expert, or investment gal.
I’m not.
Actually, I rarely talk about money, finances, and business.
But I worry about spiritual people—particularly spiritual women—and their self-esteem.
The reason I come in, all trumpets blaring, dropping truth-bombs all over the place, is because I’m trying to keep you real with yourself.
I’m trying to keep your self-esteem in tact.
I’m trying to keep you loving up on yourself.
Because it’s a rough ol’ place out there, in those shark-infested online seas and social media waters.
There’s a lot of showing off, fake glitz and glamour, bragging, hype, and—in my opinion—not much truth and substance. And unfortunately, so many women get sucked into the glitz and glamour, and believe it to be real. And because of that, their self esteem takes a beating.
I don’t want any woman’s (or man’s, or gender non-binary person’s) self-esteem to ever take a beating!!
That’s why I write these types of series and get all up in your face. I’m trying to help you see through the layers of fakery so you can:
See truth, and return back to your own beauty and wholeness.
How To Be Wealthy (Without Having to Earn 6 Or 7 Figures)
Because I’m not a business expert (and know to stay in my own lane), let me introduce you to someone who is.
He’s called The Barefoot Investor.
He’s an independent finance expert.
(Warning: The Barefoot Investor is Australian, so he speaks Australian-English, which may be hard for you to understand. Australian-English is a weird language; you’ll probably need google to translate. But don’t let that deter you. Give it a go, mate!)
He’s helped me, as well as my family and friends get their money stuff sorted. He’s super savvy, straight talking, and gives marvellous and easy to understand advice.
He’s a bit cocky at times (which I can forgive), because he’s had such a positive impact on my life.
We streamlined our personal and business earnings, gotten our life and money priorities straight, and starting getting ourselves out of all debt (almost there), whilst still having money for life’s luxuries. (I was never going to give up organic food and skincare, collecting vintage clothing and shoes, buying books, and travelling to Europe.)
And, oh, remember how I saved for that bad, rainy day? (I talked about it in part 1.) That was all thanks to him!
This is his website, and this is his book. (I’m not subscribed to his newsletter, but I constantly refer to his book.)
He’s a pragmatic, totally non woo-woo dude that will have your money and financial situation in ship-shape order in no time.
Here’s to getting that ball rolling!
Go you!
with love,
Belinda
P.S. I’m not an affiliate for The Barefoot Investor. I don’t make any money or get any kickbacks for referring him. I just dig the guy and his work.
P.P.S. Still struggling to get your money vibe on? Maybe this will get you in the jive.
P.P.P.S. Know a friend who really needs a spiritual smack down about money? Please forward them this email!
P.P.P.P.S. The final email in the series is a goodie! Learn about why your work needs to be aligned with your soul, and if it isn’t, it’s one of the biggest money blockages, ever. Also, I share all my favourite resources for overcoming any still lingering money blockages so can you get out there and kick spiritual-money-making ass! Read it now!
