I don’t have enough savings to feel secure as I get older.
This is how I got here…
At 27, my husband and I had a house, 2 cars, and decent jobs.
We were following the script and working toward better jobs.
We had 2 kids and by the time I was 35, we had split up.
In those 7 years, we bought and sold 3 more houses.
It felt like moving and making changes could fix what wasn’t quite working in our marriage.
We made some money on the sales but ultimately, we were not further ahead.
And now we were splitting everything up 50/50.
Including custody of our kids.
I was starting over.
I decided to rent because a mortgage on my salary alone felt like too much.
And renting would mean I didn’t have to worry about upkeep and surprise maintenance costs.
Everything I did was in service to maintaining a calm and peaceful household.
Then in 2013, my kids started living with me full-time.
I needed to simplify things to show up the way I wanted to for them.
So I quit my corporate job to have more control over my time as a single mom.
I was lucky to have this option.
What I really wanted was to start a business but I didn’t feel like I could make it work.
Instead, I went freelance doing whatever any online business owner needed – virtual assistance, online business management, design, marketing, social media, emails, courses, strategy, etc.
Then I settled into a full-time contract as the right-hand to one of these founders.
I was making less money than I had in my corporate job but it was consistent.
And my kids and I were comfortable.
I’ve often wondered if I lacked ambition.
But pushing for more would have meant risking the peaceful, simple, and solid life I’d created for us.
While I was saving some money, not shooting for the stars meant that I wasn’t able to save as much as I needed to.
Then in November 2021, I quit that full-time contract and ended a 4-year relationship. I was ready to start fresh.
In January 2022, I finally started my business.
The first year was not a unicorn knockout year. Even though I kinda thought it might be since I knew so much about online business.
Of course, it’s a whole different ball of wax when it’s your own business.
Still, I made a decent income in the first year by working on a few freelance projects as well as with clients.
But I took on debt for the first time since I got divorced.
At 50, I have only a bit of retirement savings.
Now, I need to shore up.
A good life for me is simple.
I want to live in a beautiful home and be able to treat my adult children to family vacations at least once a year.
I’d love to live in different countries for a few months here and there but more than that, I want a nest egg so my kids don’t have to worry about me when I’m older.
There’s not a whole lot of time left for me to make this money.
But I know that having my own business is the best way to get there.
Money is a priority.
And yet, that is not how I measure the success of my business.
It’s something I track consistently.
I have my ‘enough’ number – the amount of money needed for the lifestyle I want.
This number helps guide my decisions.
But while it matters a lot, money is ultimately only the fuel that keeps things running.
My business is so much more than a money-maker.
After all, there are easier ways to start and grow your own business.
Entrepreneur, Codie Sanchez talks about building boring businesses to make money more easily. And I can’t say I wasn’t intrigued by her approach. For a (very) short minute, I even considered just starting a power washing business.
But ew.
That’s not what I want. What I want is the business I have.
It’s a nourishing system that…
is based on meaningful relationships
challenges me to be a better version of myself
pushes me to show up in the world in a way I never have before
allows me to use my strengths in the best way possible, in a way that I enjoy
shifts, evolves, and emerges as I take different actions, build my creative muscles, stretch my thinking
These are the things that help me determine my success.
While also keeping an eye on the money.
Lynn xo
P.s. If you’d like to determine what success is for you, let’s chat.