“I need more clients, but I feel bad charging what I’m worth.”
I hear this all the time. In my 15 years of marketing, working with many different entrepreneurs and business leaders, I’ve noticed something interesting: your relationship with money often has little to do with your actual skills or market conditions.
The real barrier? It’s what’s happening between your ears.
Let me share what I’ve learned about transforming your relationship with money and how to get rid of limiting beliefs about money.
The Money Story That’s Running Your Business
Think about it – when was the last time you felt completely comfortable talking about money? For many business owners, money conversations trigger all sorts of uncomfortable feelings.
Someone once told me, “Daniel, I literally feel sick when I have to quote my prices.”
What’s actually happening here is that entrepreneurs are living out money stories they didn’t consciously create. These stories – or limiting beliefs – act like invisible software running in the background of your business decisions.
Let’s break down where these beliefs come from and then get into the practical ways to rewrite this programming.
The Origins: How Your Money Mindset Was Formed
Your beliefs about money didn’t appear overnight. They were shaped by:
- Family experiences: Did your parents argue about money? Was it discussed openly or treated as taboo?
- Childhood messages: Those casual comments like “we can’t afford that” or “money is hard to come by” stick with you.
- Cultural conditioning: Some communities value modesty over financial ambition.
- Early financial trauma: Job loss, debt, or financial insecurity leaves lasting impressions.
- Educational experiences: How money was discussed (or not discussed) in school and the messages received about financial success.
- Media influences: The portrayal of wealth and wealthy individuals in movies, TV, and news that shaped your impressions.
But here’s what I’ve found: awareness is the first step toward change. When you recognize these patterns as learned responses rather than absolute truths, you’ve already begun the transformation process.
Money Mindset Assessment: Where Are You Now?
Before jumping into solutions, let’s identify where you stand. In my coaching practice I always clarify the current reality before exploring options.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Do you feel guilty charging what you’re truly worth?
- Do you avoid looking at your financial statements?
- Do you believe rich people had some advantage you don’t have?
- Is talking about money uncomfortable for you?
- Do you find yourself saying, “I’m just not good with money”?
- Do you believe that making more money would require sacrificing your values?
- Do you worry that financial success might change your relationships?
- Do you postpone important financial decisions because they make you anxious?
- Do you believe there’s something noble about struggling financially?
The more questions you answered “yes” to, the more your limiting beliefs might be affecting your business outcomes.
The Three Zones of Money Mindset Transformation
In my experience, overcoming money limitations happens across three zones. Let’s explore each one with practical steps for transformation.
Zone 1: Awareness and Recognition – Making the Invisible Visible
You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge. The first zone is about bringing unconscious beliefs into conscious awareness.
Practical Actions:
- The Money Journal Technique: For one week, write down every thought you have about money as it occurs. Don’t judge or filter – just capture it. Look for patterns:
- Pattern Recognition Exercise: Review your money journal entries weekly to identify recurring themes or triggers.
- Trigger Tracking: Note situations that make you uncomfortable around money (sending invoices, negotiating fees, etc.). What thoughts and physical sensations arise?
- The Belief Excavation Process: Ask yourself:
- What did my parents teach me about money?
- What financial “rules” do I live by?
- What do I believe happens to people who become wealthy?
- What’s my biggest fear about money?
- What financial “truths” do I accept without questioning?
- How do I judge others based on their financial status?
Zone 2: Challenging and Reframing – Creating New Possibilities
Once you’ve identified limiting beliefs, it’s time to question them and build alternatives.
Practical Actions:
- The Evidence Method: For each limiting belief, look for three concrete examples that disprove it. If you believe “wealth requires exploitation,” find ethical, service-oriented wealthy people. After finding contradicting examples, write down how these examples specifically challenge your belief.
- The Origin Story Technique: For each limiting belief, ask:
- When did I first adopt this belief?
- Who taught me this? Were they financially successful?
- Was this belief formed during a time of stress or trauma?
- Is this belief still serving me today?
- The Alternative Perspective Exercise: For each limiting belief, ask:
- What would someone with a healthy money mindset believe instead?
- What would be possible if I believed the opposite?
- What evidence exists to support this alternative view?
Zone 3: Integration and Action – Living Your New Money Story
Awareness and reframing are essential, but lasting change requires action. This zone is about embodying your new beliefs through concrete behaviors.
Practical Actions:
- The Value Conversation: Practice discussing the value of your work without apologizing or discounting. Start with low-pressure situations and work up to client interactions.
- Financial Clarity Practice: Set a weekly appointment with yourself to review your numbers. Approach this with curiosity rather than judgment.
- The Incremental Stretch: Identify one money behavior that challenges your comfort zone (raising prices, asking for payment upfront, etc.) and implement it.
- The Accountability Structure: Share your new money goals with someone who will hold you to them – a coach, mentor, or trusted colleague.
Looking back at my work, those who created consistent structures for financial accountability showed the most significant mindset shifts.
Breaking Through Specific Money Blocks: Real-World Solutions
Let’s address some common money mindset challenges with targeted approaches.
When You Feel Guilty About Charging More
This might stem from beliefs about money being “dirty” or fears of rejection.
Breaking Through:
- Calculate the true value your work provides to clients (not just your time)
- Collect and review positive testimonials from satisfied clients
- Create packages that clearly demonstrate value beyond hourly rates
- Practice saying your prices out loud without adding justifications
- Research competitors to gain perspective on industry-standard pricing
- Create a document listing all your qualifications, experience, and the results you’ve achieved
When Financial Planning Feels Overwhelming
This often comes from beliefs about not being “good with numbers” or fear of what you might discover.
Breaking Through:
- Start with small financial reviews (15 minutes, one account at a time)
- Use visual systems if numbers feel intimidating (color-coding, graphs)
- Connect financial planning to your bigger vision (how will clarity serve your goals?)
- Consider working with a financial professional who can guide the process
When You Reject Wealth as Unethical
Many creative and service-oriented entrepreneurs believe wealth contradicts their values.
Breaking Through:
- Explore examples of wealthy individuals making positive impacts
- Define what ethical wealth means specifically to you
- Create a “wealth purpose plan” detailing how more money would allow you to do more good
- Connect with communities of socially-conscious business owners
Consider creating what I call “Social Purpose Accounts” – specific allocations of future wealth toward causes they care about. This helps dissolve the false dichotomy between profit and purpose.
Building Your Financial Confidence Ecosystem
Lasting money mindset change isn’t just about internal work – it’s also about creating supportive environments and habits.
The Knowledge Foundation
Financial education reduces fear and increases confidence:
- Start with one area of financial knowledge that feels most relevant to your situation
- Find teachers whose approaches align with your values
- Apply what you learn immediately, even in small ways
- Teach financial concepts to someone else to solidify your understanding
- Join online communities focused on financial literacy for entrepreneurs
The Support Network
Surrounding yourself with the right influences accelerates change:
- Consider who in your life reinforces limiting beliefs vs. who challenges them
- Join mastermind groups where money discussions are normal and healthy
- Follow content creators who model healthy financial attitudes
- Consider working with a coach who understands both the practical and psychological aspects of money
The Daily Practices
Small, consistent habits reshape your money relationship:
- Create a “wealth visualization” practice (5 minutes daily)
- Practice money affirmations that genuinely resonate with you
- Review financial wins weekly, no matter how small
- Express gratitude for existing financial resources
Your 30-Day Money Mindset Reset Plan
Based on my experience with clients, here’s a practical plan to begin shifting your relationship with money:
Week 1: Awareness
- Day 1-2: Complete the money belief assessment
- Day 3-5: Track money thoughts daily
- Day 6-7: Identify your three most limiting money beliefs
Week 2: Investigation
- Day 8-10: Explore the origins of each belief
- Day 11-14: Gather evidence that challenges these beliefs
Week 3: Reframing
- Day 15-17: Create alternative beliefs for each limitation
- Day 18-21: Develop visual or written reminders of new beliefs
Week 4: Action
- Day 22-25: Implement one challenging money behavior
- Day 26-28: Review results with curiosity, not judgment
- Day 29-30: Create your ongoing financial mindset plan
What I’ve found is that this structured approach helps make abstract mindset work concrete and actionable.
Beyond Belief: When Mindset Meets Strategy
While mindset is fundamental, it must pair with sound business strategy. As your money beliefs shift, you’ll likely notice new opportunities for structural changes in your business:
- Revisiting your pricing structure
- Developing new service tiers
- Creating passive income streams
- Improving cash flow management
- Implementing strategic investments
I’ve seen how internal shifts naturally lead to external innovations. As your relationship with money transforms, your approach to business evolves in parallel.
Taking the First Step
Looking back, the single greatest predictor of any transformation was simply this: the willingness to start the process.
Your relationship with money has developed over decades. Changing it requires patience and persistence. But the first step – becoming aware of your current beliefs – can begin today.
What’s one money belief you’re ready to question?
Remember, your greatest financial asset isn’t your skills, your network, or your ideas – it’s your mindset. When you transform how you think about money, everything else follows.
