Is your self worth reflected in your paycheck?

Yesterday I asked my friend, a successful wealth advisor if money was her main motivator. She said emphatically, “No, never,” adding that all she ever wanted was “freedom, autonomy, and security.” Her main motivators—her values and priorities—are what put money in her pocketbook.

I asked her if she had always been paid what she was worth, and her answer stunned me. She said, “I never stuck around long anywhere that I wasn’t valued for my services. I either got what I asked for or I kept moving…because I’m worth it."

That’s a perspective that successful women seem to have in common. Their self-worth dictates they net worth. They value themselves first and foremost.

To be clear, she didn't avoid negotiating. She asked. And asked. And asked.

If you are giving away your skills and hard earned intellectual property for anything less than you’re worth, or you’re serving a market that can’t afford what you’d like to be making, you really need to ask yourself some hard questions.

Is it self-doubt and low self-esteem?

Am I really committed to my highest goals and priorities? 

If we’re going to Lean In to our careers and businesses, we also need to Lean In to ourselves first. Raise your consciousness and your self-respect and the money will follow. If you're thinking, how do I do that...let's have a conversation.

Something to noodle on...