Five Years Ago

I flop down in my chair, the smell of licorice and marshmallow root wafting up from my tea.

I calculate how many freelance articles I need to write this week so that we can pay our rent, electricity and water bills. I tack on the amount we spend on organic, healthy food each week and sigh.

I need to get to work, because I need to write, edit and turn in five articles today.

Before I open up a Word document, I glance out the window.

The horses in the pasture in front of our house prance back and forth, probably trying to stay warm as a sprinkling of snow drifts down from the sky.

I wonder what it’d be like if I could spend all my work time on my business.

When I quit my day job, I didn’t envision working on crud I didn’t care about just to pay the bills. I thought I’d spend my days in a creative whirlwind, ending with that happy exhausted feeling you get when you’ve worked hard all day on something you love.

But, I hadn’t gotten there and I couldn’t afford to just do what I wanted, consequences be damned.

My husband counts on me. I count on me.

I push aside the yearning to pull out my art journal or write a blog post for Blacksburg Belle.

Instead, I start typing up an article on the difference between anxiety and depression, something I get paid well to do but don’t enjoy. After writing the same kind of article more than fifty times, it yanks the creativity out of the process. I just want to get it done at this point, hoping that I might have an hour at the end of the day to work on my business.

I’ve written two articles by lunch and I already feel drained.

I eat in front of the television, wishing I could stay there all day. After thirty minutes, I groan and push myself to get back to work.

I open up my email and see that Marie Forleo, someone I’ve been following for months now has opened up registration for her program, B-School.

I click on the latest video and spend the next 45 minutes absorbed by the stories of creative women like me who’ve reached success with the help of B-School.

An ache spreads in my chest. I know this is what I need to move to the next level—to stop worrying about money, to be able to invest in my business, and to get my offerings in front of people who need them.

What I don’t know is how we can afford it.

I cringe, thinking about the medical bills we need to pay. Guilt eats at my insides.

I email my friend, Mayi Carles, to see if she’s going to join B-School.

She replies back that she’s in a similar predicament. She wants to do it, but she doesn’t know if she can justify the amount. We both decide we’re going to talk to our husbands about it that night and chat on Skype the next day.

When I hear my husband pull into our driveway, I prep myself, going over my sales pitch in the bathroom mirror for the sixty-seventh time that day. I pounce on him when he walks in the door, telling him about B-School and why I want to join. Because he’s an amazing man, he listens patiently while I ramble on and on.

After I’m done, he pours himself a glass of chardonnay and tells me that we should figure out a way to make it happen. He tells me that he trusts me and if I think this is going to help me succeed, he says we should go for it.

The next day, Mayi and I hop on Skype. We’re both nervous. We’ve both talked to our husbands who’ve decided to support us in this decision even though it’s a risk.

Mayi tells me that she’ll join if I join. I tell her that I’ll join if she joins. But, we’ve got to do it together.

We promise to be each other’s accountability partners during the course, making sure that we take full advantage of the program.

After we hang up, I get out my bank card and sit for about 30 minutes staring at the checkout screen.

Am I making a huge mistake? Will I be able to make this money back anytime soon? Should I be investing this money in something else?

My email pings. Mayi has purchased B-School and she’s waiting to hear back from me.

I hold my breath, press the buy button and then giggle in that maniacally strange way people do when they feel a bit crazy. I email Mayi back, letting her know that she’s not alone.

And, like that, we’re taking B-School. Eeeep!

Five Months Later

I call my husband and start squealing in his ear the moment he picks up. He tells me to calm down, that he can’t understand me.

I take a deep breath and let him in on the good news.

My launch is a success.

Thirty-four women signed up for my latest online course and I’ve sold out all of my individual consulting spots which means I’ve made more than $13,000 this month.

I can’t believe it. The sweat and tears I’ve poured into my business since registering for B-School have more than paid off.

I’ve reached that point of momentum that I’ve heard about over and over again. Sales are easier. I’m working with the right people—women who appreciate my strengths and skills. My marketing feels natural.

And, the best part is that I can focus solely on my business. I don’t have to write another freelance article that pulls all the energy out of me.

In a moment of giddiness, I realize this is what I’ve been trying to achieve since quitting my day job.

Since that time, I’ve had numerous five-figure launches, taught four courses at CreativeLive, been invited to speak at many online and in-person events, made more than $10,000 for one speaking engagement, have hired a virtual assistant and so much more.

I’ve created a business that I love to work on day in and day out. I feel grateful every morning when I open my eyes and realize once again that I’ve built the business of my dreams. I’m in charge and I get to spend my time on things I love to do. What more could I ask for?

Many people ask me why I promote B-School. They usually look at me with skepticism, trying to figure out if it’s because of the affiliate payments.

While the affiliate payments are super generous (and allow me to offer high value bonuses—including a small mastermind for the women who purchase through Mayi and me), the reason I tell people about B-School is because it literally changed my life and business.

It worked for me. And, it can work for you.

Last week, Marie published a couple of free videos that you should watch even if you know for sure that you’re not going to join B-School.

Why? Because, they’re free, super helpful and only up for a limited time.

And, just a heads up. That’s an affiliate link, but I don’t get anything for you watching free videos. (Although, it’d be pretty darn cool if I did get a trip to the Bahamas for sharing them.)

I hope you have an amazingly productive day and have a chance to watch those videos—which will probably inspire you to be even more productive.

Next week, I’ll share more about who should seriously consider B-School and who should skip it. It’s a big investment and you should only register if it’s the right program for you. Next week’s blog post will help you figure that out.

P.S. If you think B-School sounds amazing but you can barely afford to keep your lights on right now, Marie and her team give out a bunch of scholarships every single year. Last year, they gave out 54 scholarships! Marie is sharing the details of how to enter for a free spot in B-School tomorrow, Thursday February 11^th. Sign up here to get those details.