She Shouldn't Have to Give Away Her Calling!

[00:00:02] Not too long ago, there was a mother in our community who was trying to build something of her own. I'm going to protect her identity and change a few details because this is not about exposing our struggle. It's about understanding it. I feel like this topic in particular is relatable to so many of you out there.

[00:00:29] So she had created a product she truly believed could help people. And it was not being produced inside an enormous factory as many of our our mother's businesses out there are not in the infant stages. There was no marketing department, no investors covering the expenses, and no team preparing the orders while she slept.

[00:00:58] There was a mother sitting at a table calculating the cost of every material, every label, every piece of packaging, and every dollar required to send her product into the world. Behind those numbers was a family barely scraping by.

[00:01:23] She wasn't building with extra money or this fund of go do what you want. Fulfill your dreams. She was trying to help the family. She was building while wondering how the next bill would be paid. Trying to keep the water on, the electricity, all the things. And she was juggling with her family. And she still kept going. She purchased the supplies,

[00:01:51] worked after other responsibilities were finished, and created the best product she could with what she had. And then people began asking her for discounts. They loved her product. It was beautiful. It was exactly what they wanted. But they were asking for discounts. They wanted the friend price.

[00:02:18] Some hoped she would provide it at cost, less than cost. Others asked if she could give them one for free so they could help get her exposure. And because she was afraid of losing the sale, or disappointing people that had an audience, or appearing selfish, she kept lowering the price. Even giving it away again and again,

[00:02:48] until there was almost nothing left for the woman who had done the work. Who was up late at night, going without sleep. The difficult part was that some of those same people would walk into a large store and pay full price without hesitation. They would never ask a major company to lower its price because money was tight that month.

[00:03:14] But somehow when the business belonged to a mother they knew, the price became negotiable. She was not asking for anyone to rescue her. She wasn't asking for handouts. She wasn't asking for pity. She was, she was grinding. She was working. She was asking for people to notice the value of what she had created.

[00:03:44] To respect that. Because when you ask a struggling mother to lower her price, the company doesn't absorb the loss. She does. It comes out of the groceries. It comes out of the next order of supplies for the home, for the children. The childcare that she can afford. The food for the babies. The small amount she

[00:04:11] perhaps was hoping to reinvest into the product to, to make more money. But sometimes it comes out of her belief that this business could ever become something sustainable. We say we want mothers to succeed. We do. We do. We want that. We all want that. But we cannot keep asking them to provide their generosity

[00:04:40] by giving away the very work they are trying to build a life from. Get comfortable, my friends, because we're about to have another valuable conversation. Grab your loved ones. Grab a snack. And if this is your time, enjoy it to your, take it to yourself and enjoy that moment. Let's go.

[00:05:14] Ooh, that's better, right babe? She founded an architectural concrete company. He founded a hundred million dollar clothing company. She took the world by storm as a social media star. He took the world by storm as a famous serial entrepreneur. Together we started a business. And had babies. Now we're figuring out the best ways to do both. Join us as we learn from other entrepreneurs going through the same life struggles.

[00:05:44] As they share their life hacks about success, love, kids. And everything in between. Hello, my friends, and welcome back to Becoming Unshakeable brought to you by the Entrepreneur Parents Podcast. We're doing another episode for the moms. Mom supporting moms. We've been requested to do this with all the Q&A's and conversations we've been having.

[00:06:10] And here we are talking honestly about what support looks like when it moves beyond words. Because it's easy. It's easy to say, keep going. This is great. You're doing amazing. Well, today we're talking about money, value, and why a mother should not have to apologize. The little ones just peaked in. I don't know how that's going to play over.

[00:06:41] I'm not sure where I finished, but I'm going to finish my thought. Don't edit that out. Let's just leave it. Today we are talking about money, value, and why a mother should not have to apologize for charging for her work. She shouldn't have to. Why? Because a mother owned business. That is still a business. Even if we know her, even if she's familiar,

[00:07:11] because her time has value. I would almost, not almost, I would beg to say that is more value. Give her the tip. Overpay her. Double pay her. Listen, her knowledge has value. Her creativity has value. And her generosity should be something she freely chooses.

[00:07:38] Not something the people around her learn to expect because she's nice or she's kind. There's something strange that can happen when we know the person behind a business. We see the mother and we forget the professional or who she is becoming. We see her at school in a pickup line for, I don't know,

[00:08:04] maybe an extracurricular activity that her children are doing or we're standing beside her at church. We know her children. We remember when she was learning, when she was first learning to create this thing. She was figuring it out. And because she feels familiar, we begin treating her work casually. We might spend hundreds of dollars

[00:08:32] with a company whose founder we may never meet. Then hesitate over the price of something created by a woman we personally know. We might pay a stranger's consulting fee and then ask a friend if we could pick her brain. This happens to my husband a lot. And it's never a stranger.

[00:09:01] It's always people he knows. Hey, can I pick your brain? And hours later, it's awful. It's happening to mothers. It's happening to our husbands. We may believe we are asking for something small because we know this person, but we are not always seeing what sits behind the request.

[00:09:31] We don't see the years that it took her to gain that knowledge. The investment it took. The classes, the coaches she worked with, the failed versions, the equipment, the software, the transaction fees, right? The first time spent answering messages, preparing orders, fixing mistakes. This is all behind the scenes. And learning every part of a business

[00:10:01] that she once knew nothing about. Time is money. Time is an investment. The price is not only for the object in front of you that you see that you're able to take home. It also reflects what it looks like to bring that object into existence. Every mother building something is already paying an invisible invoice. She pays with early mornings.

[00:10:30] She pays with those sleepless nights, those late, late nights, right? Because she can finally get some peace to get some stuff done. Not peace. I'm not saying like, oh, it's a hard day. But she wants to give her 100% to her family. So she sacrifices the hours that she could be sleeping. She pays with the opportunities she cannot accept

[00:10:57] because child care would cost more than the job. She pays with the mental effort of moving between business decisions and the needs of her family without ever completely closing either tab in her mind. Right? That exhaustion. That mental load. And then after carrying all of that, she may still feel uncomfortable

[00:11:26] sending an invoice to someone she knows. She lowers her price before anyone even asks. She's almost used to it. She adds extra work she never agreed to provide, to please people. Answers one more question for free that a client, a client that doesn't know her would never expect. And it's not because her work lacks value.

[00:11:55] It's because she's afraid to ask, to be paid. And she's nervous that it could potentially change the way that the people she cares about will see her. But being kind does not require a woman to become economically invisible. It's just more load on her back.

[00:12:23] Serving others shouldn't mean that her family should absorb the cost. Right? They can't afford that much groceries this week because she was asked to give her product away. Well, it's for charity. I'm throwing this big event. I was hoping that you could give me 12. And that kind of pressure, sometimes she doesn't know how to deal with it yet.

[00:12:52] A mother can have a generous heart and a profitable business. Don't you think that she deserves that? She should be able to have both. Those things should not be conflict. It shouldn't be a conflict. It shouldn't even be a thought. We have to be so careful to not expect people to do that, especially in the infant stages. Especially in the infant stage.

[00:13:22] Hold on, I'm tripping on my words. Especially in the infant stages. Right? We're trying to help our own family out. We're barely keeping above water. And I want to make something, I want to make something clear. Supporting a mother doesn't always mean that you have to purchase something.

[00:13:50] Doesn't always mean that. Because sometimes, sometimes we're struggling too. Sometimes we can't afford the product. Or join the program. Or become a paying customer. Why? Because that's real life. Everybody has things going on. It's not picture perfect. But especially when the mother is a content creator, a writer, an artist, a podcaster. Hello, podcasters.

[00:14:20] I see you. Or an educator. There are meaningful ways to support her that cost zilch. It costs absolutely nothing, friends. Share the thing. Share her page. Share her book. Share her art. Share her course. Share her podcast. Share the episodes. Share it.

[00:14:49] Because really, it's free. It costs nothing. Send her page to someone who would connect with it. Leave a thoughtful comment. Really, this is huge. This is huge for podcasters. Actually leave the five stars. Leave a comment. I know sometimes we're leaving the five stars, but we forget to leave the kind comment. Leave the five stars.

[00:15:19] Leave the kind comment and share it. That is huge. That is huge. And really, it takes seconds. Save the post. If she's saying, hey, I want to become a content creator or a UGC creator. I want to create this page, but I'm too scared to share my face. And you know that she's behind it. Share the post. Share the link. Write the review. Right?

[00:15:49] On Amazon or what is it? Yelp. Whatever it is. Google. Google review. That is huge. It costs nothing. It costs nothing. I love going into a family owned business or a mother owned business. And I see what's going on. I get it. Hey, I'm going to leave you a Google review. I'm going to leave you a review right now.

[00:16:18] Five stars. And I'm going to leave a long review. Seriously. They light up. I remember not that long ago, a family owned business. They took pictures of my babies for their passport. I shared them. I gave them five stars. They were so happy. They were so happy. And they returned the favor. They returned the favor about the podcast because they were asking me what we had going on. We had a great conversation.

[00:16:48] Listen, mention her work in a conversation. This isn't just for mothers. It's family owned businesses too. Mention the work in the conversation. Those actions, I'm telling you, it may take seconds at most, but they can help her work reach the person who may become a listener, a customer, a sponsor, a partner, or some kind of opportunity that can change lives.

[00:17:20] What is difficult is when someone consumes a mother's work every week, learns from her ideas, feels strengthened by her message, and never takes a moment to let anyone else see that she exists. You don't have to purchase everything. You don't have to purchase everything a mother creates to support her. But if her work has helped you somehow, why not let it travel through you?

[00:17:50] Why not be the blessing? Why not be a blessing to her? Or to that family that's creating. Don't enjoy her gift privately while remaining publicly silent about its value. The share costs nothing. The review costs nothing. The recommendation. It costs what? Nothing. So why not?

[00:18:17] But to the mother or the family that's creating or the mother that's recording inside a closet, editing during that time while the babies are sleeping, or creating after bedtime, and wondering whether anyone is even listening or wanting to purchase.

[00:18:44] It may mean more than you will ever realize. I promise you. It means the world to me. It means the world to me when you guys share, when you guys leave a review, when you leave five stars, when you leave me a message, when you connect with me, and you tell me how something hit, how it blessed you, it means everything.

[00:19:14] Because as mothers, we're all taking time out of our lives to bring you the calling, the calling that we have on our lives. Sometimes support, it could sound like, listen, friend, I can't purchase this one today. I can't buy this today. But I can help find the right people to introduce this to. Or I can help the right people find you. I have the resources.

[00:19:44] That really matters. And this doesn't mean that mothers should never offer discounts when they can. And it doesn't mean don't ever give away product or donate services or help someone who genuinely cannot afford what they need. Generosity is beautiful.

[00:20:09] It could be one of the greatest expressions of our faith, really. But a gift is only a gift if the giver is free to choose it. We don't want to pressure people to do something that we don't know if they can afford to do.

[00:20:29] When someone uses friendship or guilt or pressure or promised exposure to obtain free work, that's not generosity. That is not generosity. And I mean, it has to be said. That is someone else deciding what a mother should sacrifice. That's not really fair to her. Let her be generous.

[00:20:58] If she's able to, let her be the one that decides. Don't volunteer her time to your community or your people without asking her first. Don't offer her services to someone else without asking her. We can assume that because something appears easy for her, that it costs nothing to provide.

[00:21:25] And when she gives you more than you paid for, we ought to recognize that. Thank her. Speak about her work. Right? Come back when you can. The goal is not to make every friend... It's icky. You don't want to make a relationship or friendship transactional. That's not the goal.

[00:21:50] The goal is to stop allowing closeness because you know them to become permission to... I don't want to use the word devalue someone, but that's kind of what it comes out to. Listen. The first letter of St. Paul to Timothy, chapter 5, verse 18 says,

[00:22:20] For Scripture says, Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain, and the worker deserves his wages. It tells us the worker deserves to be paid. Not because the service is unimportant, but work has dignity, doesn't it? God calls us to generosity.

[00:22:47] He does, but he also teaches us justice. Respecting a mother's price is one way of recognizing the dignity of her labor. She should not have to become exhausted, underpaid, and resentful before her work is considered valuable.

[00:23:13] She can serve people well and receive fair compensation. That's love. That's love towards her. That's care. She can answer a calling and build financial stability for her family. There's honor in both of those. In both. Right? There is. There is. And it is so important to recognize that.

[00:23:43] Okay, friends. Grab your journals and something to write with. These are just some simple questions and just something to think about. So the first question. This is for our community. Do I treat a mother's work with the same respect I give a larger company? Nobody's ever going to have to see these answers.

[00:24:12] This is just for us. Think about the woman whose work you consume. Have I benefited from someone's ideas without ever acknowledging her? Have I expected free advice because we know each other? Do I constantly call her and lean on her?

[00:24:37] Have I asked a mother to lower her price without considering what reduction costs her family? Now, this one's for you. And if you're a mother building something, ask yourself these questions. Where have I been lowering my value because I'm afraid of disappointing people?

[00:25:08] Do I keep giving out discounts or giving away my product? And it's financially burdening me because I don't want to hurt someone's feelings. Where do I need a clearer boundary? What can I say when this comes up?

[00:25:34] What would it look like to charge honestly, give generously when I choose and stop apologizing for building something that I know has the potential to change my family? I think when we get the idea of starting something new, and sometimes we are.

[00:26:00] We are in those crisis moments when we feel like, oh my gosh, I got to try to step in because our family is drowning. And I have this idea. I know how I can help. I know how I can help. But it's going to cost. It's going to cost. It's going to take food off the table. I'm going to have to buy less things, supplies.

[00:26:28] But I know, I truly believe that eventually that we can build this thing. And when it becomes a blessing, then I can become a blessing to others. I mean, that's the full goal is once it becomes a blessing that when the money starts coming in, right, the prosperity starts coming.

[00:26:53] And then we get to the joy of stewarding that so we can be a blessing to others. But it's hard because that's what we want to do. And sometimes in the infant stages, and people come to us and we know, we know that we are able to give them something. But then there's that guilt and there's that tug of war of, I'm not really ready to do this, but I don't want to hurt anyone. I don't want to hurt. Like, it's just this guilt.

[00:27:22] So as mothers, right, and fathers listening, now we're aware of what goes into it. And we can be more conscious when that comes up. So let's talk about a legacy move that we could do this week. This week, why not? Why don't we honor the work of one mother? Just choose one. There's zillions out there.

[00:27:52] Gazillions. There's so many mothers out there. Let's honor one. Let's choose one. If you need what she offers and can afford to pay for it, pay fully for it without making her defend it. Or if we know she's at a farmer's market or if there's a way to tip her or double pay, if

[00:28:18] we can, if we have the blessing and we're able to bless others, how about leaving her a tip? Right? Double paying. Triple, 10x paying, if we can. Remember I told you that story? I told you that story when I didn't have children and I would go on those funding sites and I would look for the single moms because it meant something to me.

[00:28:48] And I'd invest 5,000, 10,000, a few thousand when I could. It literally changed people's lives. Sometimes I left my name. Sometimes I didn't. I know that God was working through me. I know that. So we can do something like that.

[00:29:19] And it doesn't have to. Listen, I was in a good place. We're not always in a good place, but sometimes we can do something, something that will bless someone. You know? If you can't purchase it, you don't have to. Because guess what? You can help her work reach someone who can. Share the episode. Share the product. Write the review. Send the page to someone. Send the link to someone.

[00:29:49] Leave the meaningful comment. Encourage her. Encourage her that way. Share it in your story. Share her link. Whatever it is, support doesn't have to be expensive. Doesn't have to cost at all. But it could be something that could change her today. Just think of it. My mom used to pray.

[00:30:19] Sometimes she didn't know what tomorrow was going to bring. Sometimes I didn't know what tomorrow was going to bring. We've all been in that place. I can confidently say that we've all been in the place where we didn't know what was going to happen tomorrow or next week or next month or next year.

[00:30:48] We didn't know. We didn't know. But I could tell you we're praying that we trust. We trust in God. And we know that God has a plan. Sometimes we don't understand it. But we know that he will provide in some way or through someone. It's usually through someone we don't even know. Maybe you hear this message.

[00:31:19] And the first scroll, you land on a page with a mother with a sick child or a mother that's trying to help her husband that's drowning. She's got some children. Maybe she's pregnant. We don't know the story. We don't know what it'll be. But we're in the position where we could bless someone. We could be the angel. God works through people. Earth angels. Sometimes we get to be those angels.

[00:31:52] Perhaps one day the mother from our community will see her product carried by major stores. I pray that happens for her. I do. I do. Because she's working hard. I pray for all the mothers that are creating something that is physical, something that is service-based. I pray for all the mothers out there. I'm praying for you.

[00:32:20] Perhaps people will pay the full price without thinking twice because success has made the product familiar. Maybe that's where it's going to land for her, for you guys out there. But she should not have to become successful before the people closest to her decide her work is worth paying for. She should not have to...

[00:32:46] She shouldn't need a large following before we respect the hours behind what she created. Maybe she only has 15 followers right now. Maybe she's brand new to the farmer's market. Maybe it's her brand new show, brand new podcast. She's stuttering. She's... She's... Her voice is still shaking. Share it. Share it.

[00:33:16] She's only going to get better. She should not have to exhaust herself proving that she is serious, that she's committed, that she's in it. She's in it to win it. Dig deep. Don't be cheap. Okay, friends? And she shouldn't have... She should not have to... She shouldn't have to give away the business that she's trying to build to convince us that she has a generous heart.

[00:33:46] It's so hard to hear those stories. Dang it. When you purchase from a mother, you're not just buying an object or a service. You may be funding her next order. You may be putting food on the table for her children. You may be paying for the next month of software. An hour of childcare. Maybe that's all she can afford.

[00:34:13] A little breathing room inside. A home that has been carrying too much. And when you share the work of a mother who creates content, you may be helping a message reach the person who needed it today. Just sharing it, you may be a blessing. And when you share the work of a mother who creates content,

[00:34:44] you may be helping a message reach the person who needed it that day. It may be a blessing for them. Right? You're just, you're the connector. So simple. We don't want to ask mothers to apologize for the price. They had to set that price because of the materials that went into it.

[00:35:10] Don't ask her to feel guilty about wanting the work to grow. Make her feel awkward about asking you to share. Look at what she created. Recognize what it required. And when the price is fair, say, just say something like, I see what this took. What do I owe you? No.

[00:35:40] And just like, just throw it out. Sometimes it may be her very first attempt in business. She may not know how to negotiate. She may have no clue. Sometimes she may be very soft. This is her first go at business. She's scared. She's shaking. Let her know that it's worth it. That's it. I mean, to let me give you a tip, that's great. Okay,

[00:36:09] let's close this together in prayer. Let's come together in prayer, friends. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, God, thank you for every mother using their gifts you placed inside her. Thank you for the work created in quiet rooms during late nights and between responsibilities no one else can see.

[00:36:38] Give her wisdom. To price her work honestly. Give her courage to communicate her value without any kind of shame or embarrassment. protect her from the belief that she must give everything away to prove that she is kind.

[00:37:02] Teach her to be generous from freedom because she can or wants to, not from fear. Teach us to honor the labor of women around us. Show us when to purchase, when to share, when to recommend, and when to encourage.

[00:37:25] Help us never to use closeness as permission to expect something. Even without realizing it. Help us to just be more aware. May the businesses, may the businesses, platforms, and ideas being built by mothers create stability for their families and become blessings to the people they serve.

[00:37:52] Remind every mother listening that receiving fair compensation does not make her selfish. That her work has dignity. It has value. That her time matters. That her. And the gifts you entrusted to her are worthy of faithful stewardship. We say this in Jesus' name. Amen.

[00:38:18] If a mother came to mind during this episode, support her in a way she can feel. Pay the price. Share the page. Send the episode. Write the review. Help her work reach the person who's been looking for it.

[00:38:37] And if this conversation encouraged you, follow the Entrepreneur Parents podcast and send it to a mother that's building something meaningful while she's raising her family. She's creating a legacy. And if you have a moment, I would love it if you could leave five golden stars and a kind review.

[00:38:59] Truly, it helps more families discover these conversations and help us continue building this beautiful community of mothers and fathers and creators and SEO. CEOs and entrepreneurs and family businesses, legacy builders. It just helps bring us together. And I'm so grateful for you guys.

[00:39:28] I'm grateful that you guys are pouring into yourselves and your families. And if you have children, listen together to the Entrepreneur Kids Legacy Show, this screen-free learning podcast, planting seeds of faith, character, leadership, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and real life wisdom in the courageous young leaders of tomorrow.

[00:39:58] You know, there's power in your words. And they are so aware of the content that they're creating. It's planting seeds. They're aware of the content that they consume. We as adults, not just children, have to be aware of that. So come listen to it together. And if you would love to sponsor the show, you can do that.

[00:40:26] You can support their work and be the encouragement behind these shows. You can visit buymeacoffee.com backslash entrepreneur kids legacy. And you can leave a gift there. And if you choose to buy me a coffee, you can do that there too. Introduce yourself to me. If you want to connect with me.

[00:40:51] If your family and children want to connect with Daniel and Destiny, when you leave a gift, you can do that. You can leave it there. All the links are below. You can DM me. Let me know what you're working for. What you're up to. Tell me your name. Tell us your name. Tell the children your name. Tell us what you're building. We want to know. We really love hearing it.

[00:41:15] Tell me about the dream that you are carrying for your family. I want to hear from the mother whose work is coming to life. Tell me about the mother that you know that you're watching, whose work needs more people to discover her. That's the beauty of the Entrepreneur Parents Podcast. What is it?

[00:41:45] The Instagram page. We share people all the time. In our stories. Permanent posts. Those retweets or reshares. We share. That's the beauty of it. What is it? It's Entrepreneur Parents. That's not just us saying the podcast or delivering the shows to you. It's all of us in the community.

[00:42:14] It's the people that just stumbled on this show and said, I've got 10 followers. Let me shoot my shot. Here. I created this content. Do you want to reshare it? Maybe I'll leave five stars on the show if I like it. Maybe it hit me somehow. And there's that exchange. And it's free. It's free for us to help each other, isn't it?

[00:42:44] It's free. So, anyway. Yeah. Tell me about the mom. Tell me about the mom you found out about who doesn't have all the followers. Maybe you're the mom. Maybe you're the mom with zero followers. I'd love to meet you. I would love to learn about what you are creating. I want to cheer you on. That's what we do here. We support each other.

[00:43:09] We don't cringe and we don't pretend that it's not hard to build something from the infant stages. Because sometimes, even when it's successful, we run into obstacles. It's not always easy. There's always obstacles in life. And when we have a great community, God will keep bringing the right people into our life. And he will clear out the ones that don't belong.

[00:43:40] Because supporting each other, don't think of it as charity. Guess what it is? It's recognizing value in each other. It's respecting each other's work. It's helping good ideas survive long enough to grow. Until next time, protect what matters. Keep building your family's legacy. And remember, the people in front of you are part of the God-given destiny. God bless you.

[00:44:10] Glory to God always. We love you. I can't wait to talk to you again. Have the best day. Thank you, beautiful friends, for listening to this important message from Mama. Share with someone you love and care about. Oh, and we'd love to personally invite you to listen to our podcast. It's for young future leaders ready to change the world and be a light in the dark.

[00:44:39] Listen together as a family. It's called the Arsenal Kids Legacy Show. We know you'll love it. Unforgettable family legacy. God bless you. No one told you yet. Good job.

[00:45:08] And remember, you are the hero of your story. Because every legacy begins with a hero. And that hero is you. This podcast is for inspirational and educational purposes only. And it is not intended to replace professional advice, legal advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

[00:45:33] The views expressed are based on personal experience and faith-based insight and are meant to encourage reflection and growth. Always seek the guidance of qualified professionals regarding any questions or concerns you may have about your health, relationships, or business. Thank you. We'll see you next time.