Reflection of the Week
Happy Friday, all!
This week, I want to lean into one of the core threads from my recent chat on The Business Gay with Calan Breckon: the idea that pricing, identity, and sustainability all dance together in a mission-driven business.
One of the most tangible nuggets I shared was this: figure out what you want to charge — then bump it by 25%. Too often, we undervalue ourselves—not because the world doesn’t see our worth, but because we haven’t fully claimed it.
But pricing is just one axis. We also discussed aligning your business structure (tiered offerings, cash flow guardrails via Profit First), embracing your identity as a strength rather than a liability, and designing a business around the life you want — not the one you think you should hustle toward.
Here are three practical takeaways you can lean into right now:
- Set a base fee + margin buffer: Decide what you think you should charge. Add a 25% buffer as your mental “stretch” zone. If that feels too steep, even a 10–15% increase moves you forward.
- Work backwards from your life goals: Instead of guessing what rates “should” be, reverse-engineer from your income needs: “I need $X to live. I want Y clients. Therefore, I need to charge Z per client.”
- Lock in financial guardrails with Profit First: Use the Profit First model to allocate incoming revenue first to profit, then to your owner’s pay, taxes, and finally operating expenses. This structure fosters discipline and helps you build a business that can actually generate income and remain sustainable.
Questions of the Week
- What base price have you been charging (or thinking of charging), and how might that change if you added even a modest 10–25% buffer?
- When you imagine the life you want — in income, time, energy — what numbers (clients, pricing, revenue) would support that?
- What guardrails (profit, tax, savings) can you erect now so that you, your business, and your impact can all last?
Tool of the Week
Make sure to check out my episode with Calan!
And a bonus tool is Profit First — The book and methodology by Mike Michalowicz offers a simple yet powerful cash‑management framework. It’s one of the clearest ways to build in protection and ensure your business serves you, not the other way around.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Best,
Brian