Is Money a Pressing Priority?

Written by Barbara Huson

You say you want to make more money, right?

But understand this. Nothing will happen until you consciously decide to make financial success a pressing priority.

A decision is not the same as a goal. A goal denotes the desired destination. A decision implies the determination to reach it.

Here’s the beauty of a committed decision. You don’t need to have a plan all figured out. All you have to do is decide what you want and do what comes next.

Decisions are like magnets. They attract opportunities.

But be warned: those opportunities always lie outside your comfort zone.

You’ll come to a point where you must decide what you’re really committed to: increasing your income or staying where it’s safe.

You can’t have both. Have you done anything recently that’s outside your comfort zone? Leave me a comment below.

If you’ve made a decision to build your Wealth in 2020, I’m here to tell you it’s easier with support. Get the support you need to stay on the Wealth-Building path in my virtual community—The Wealth Connection. Learn More.

Ready to Rewire for Wealth?

Written by Barbara Huson

Is this the year you become a wealthy woman? Or an even wealthier one? It’s really quite simple.

Every time money comes in, put a portion into savings on a regular basis. How much? Ten percent is ideal, but less is absolutely fine. Sadly, few people do this.

For many, setting aside savings is akin to self-imposed poverty, as expressed in a recent email I received. “How can I SAVE money to create wealth (which means cutting back spending) and still have a feeling of ABUNDANCE (which means the desire to SPEND) and not a mentality of LACK?”

In her mind, spending provided the pleasurable pretense of prosperity while savings felt like self-denial. But a brain wired for wealth views it quite differently.

Saving means you’re giving the money to YOU (not Visa or Starbucks) so that ultimately you can purchase whatever you please without pressure or worry. The difference between the two mindsets is not deprivation but delayed gratification.

The ability to delay gratification is a sign of maturity and the quickest way to accumulate more than enough, which is the true definition of wealth.

The best part. Saving is so easy when you set up automatic deposits. You don’t miss what you don’t see.

And, with little effort, you set the rewire process in motion. As you watch your savings grow, the reward centers of your brain light up and your inclination to save more increases by the day.

How do you feel about savings—self-denial or the way to wealth? Share below.

Give yourself the Gift of Wealth in 2020! Join my virtual community, The Wealth Connection and Become a Savvy & Confident Investor! Learn More!

A Radical New Way of Making New Year’s Resolutions

Written by Barbara Huson

Can it be? We’re only two weeks away from beginning a new year. I’ll be spending time with my family and I’m offering this last “from the archives” blog for you to consider as you celebrate whatever traditions you celebrate and get ready to jump into 2020.

I used to do it every year. Then I stopped. Last weekend, however, I was drawn to make New Year’s resolutions.

It felt really good to list them: Write another book. Create a home study course. Visit my kids more frequently. Get away with my hubby. Yoga class at least 3 times a week.

But when I reviewed the list, I was surprised by my reaction. Instead of being pumped up, I felt uninspired. Huh? These were things I deeply desire, achievements that would surely feed my soul. Why wasn’t I excited?

I remembered a line from A Course in Miracles: “Seek not outside yourself…for you will surely fail.” In other words, I’ll never find what I really want if I keep looking for it ‘out there’ or stipulating where to find it.

Then I have a flash back. New Year’s Eve, 1995. At the top of my list: Finish my first book. Not because I enjoy the writing. But as a published author, I’ll finally feel important. Two years pass. I walk by a bookstore, see my book in the window, and wait to feel important. The feeling never came.

Looking back at that memory, I realize that what I’m wanting isn’t actually a tangible goal. It’s how I want to feel once I attain it.

I make a brand new list: To savor the gratification and joy writing gives me. To relish in the pleasure of working with my team in the creation of something new. To spend more time immersed in the love of my family. And to feel connected to my soul, healthy in my body and experience extended periods of inner peace.

Reading these now, I feel energized, excited for whatever unexpected events or unimagined opportunities the universe may bring.

What if you did the same? Rewrite your resolutions, listing the feelings you wish to experience without insisting you know how to find them, Share your thoughts below.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday and a healthy, happy, prosperous new year. I’ll be back in ~~2019~~ 2020!

Give yourself the Gift of Wealth in 2020! Join my virtual community, The Wealth Connection and Become a Savvy & Confident Investor! Learn More!

Why You Probably Suck at Receiving

Written by Barbara Huson

In this season of giving, it’s worth stopping and giving some thought to how you receive. Here’s another blog from the archives to think about.

Consider this. There’s a direct correlation between your ability to receive and your level of financial success.

The problem, however—most of us suck at receiving.

Think about it. How often do you gloss over praise, deflect admiration, deny an achievement or respond with self-criticism?

Receiving is to your Soul what eating is to your body—a source of strength, nourishment, and growth. When you fail to receive, you’re literally starving your Soul.

But here’s where it gets tricky. Many gifts come camouflaged and are easily overlooked. To receive fully you must suspend judgment. Nothing that happens is ‘good’ or ‘bad, ’right’ or ‘wrong,’ ‘negative’ or ‘positive.’

Everything, absolutely everything, no matter how it feels, is a gift, a message, a lesson, a form of divine communication.

This, of course, is counterintuitive. It’s easy to receive a compliment from a friend, but a reprimand from your boss? That too can be a gift when you mine it for its deeper meaning.

To quote a Zen saying, the obstacle is the path. “So that like oxygen to a fire,” writes author Robert Greene, “obstacles and adversity become fuel for your potential.”

To receive fully means this: Every frustration, disappointment or even failure is, in truth, a source of guidance, support, and strength building…a gift, that if fully received, will increase your success exponentially.

I’d love to hear your experiences of how past disappointments turned out to be gifts in disguise. Share your story in the comments below.

Give yourself the gift of community this holiday season. Join my virtual community The Wealth Connection. It’s the place for women to come together to become Savvy and Confident Investors and find support every step of the way!

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Consciousness Raising While Holiday Shopping

Written by Barbara Huson

Here’s another post I’m re-visiting from 2018…Enjoy!

Tis the season to be spending. But splurging on presents is like bingeing at the buffet. Fun at first, but afterwards, you feel awful!

Let me suggest a simple tip to control holiday spending (while raising your consciousness), without turning into a tightwad: Track your spending.

Every time you buy anything—a holiday gift or a cup of coffee—jot down the item and the amount…at the time of purchase.Otherwise, receipts pile up and it feels overwhelming.

Believe me, tracking is not just for those with limited means. Tracking is a powerful consciousness raising and potentially life changing tool. It reveals a lot more than where you can shave and save.

For one thing, the numbers tell a story about your life. For example, when you look at where you aren’t spending—say vacations, doctor visits or new underwear—do you see where you may be depriving yourself?

When you look at where you are spending,do your purchases reflect your values, what’s really important to you? Or are you trying to fill a hole in your soul that no amount of ‘stuff’ will ever fill.

Furthermore, tracking has a ripple effect.There was a fascinating Australian study where participants wrote down every purchase, with surprising results.

Not only did their financial lives improve, but they also smoked and drank less, ate less junk food and even found they were more productive.

“As people strengthened their willpower muscles in one part of their lives — in the gym, or a money management program — that strength spilled over into what they ate or how hard they worked,” the study discovered. “Once willpower became stronger, it touched everything.”

Tracking your spending, it turns out, is a great gift to give yourself this holiday season.

I’d love to hear what you discovered by tracking your spending. Share a comment below.

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I’m in Resistance! How Do I Get Out of It?

Written by Barbara Huson

You know the feeling. You finally decide to take the financial reins. You’ll pay off your debt, save for emergencies, invest regularly for retirement.

Off you go—to take a financial class, talk to an advisor, buy a money book—when suddenly, you run smack dab into Resistance.

Resistance is the psychological term for, “I don’t want to do this!”

You cancel the appointment, lose interest in the book, sit through the class, but nothing sinks in. You figure money’s not your thing. Eventually, you quit trying.

Resistance, more than anything else, is what stops women from taking the financial reins. But it doesn’t need to derail you, at least not for long.

You need to understand that resistance is normal. It’s a signal that you’re changing, not that something is wrong.

Find a friend, a colleague or financial professional to hold you accountable. Whatever it is you don’t want to do, that is exactly what you need to do next.

Dig deeper to find what lies on the other side of Resistance.

It’s your Power.

And that’s really what scares us. Not managing our money, but owning our power.

Which is why I created The Wealth Connection, an online community of women supporting women ready to claim their power. I invite you to check it out here.

I’d love to hear what you’ve done to overcome your resistance. Leave me a comment below.

Get the support you need to create the Wealth you desire in my virtual community of women supporting women, The Wealth Connection. Now only $47/month! Join the conversation today!

How Do You Know When You’re Really RICH?

Written by Barbara Huson

Quick, answer this question with the first number that comes to mind: How much money does it take to be

Of course, you may argue, there’s more to being rich than having money—there’s love, health, freedom, etc. All true. But for the purpose of this blog, and in the spirit of research, let’s stick with a specific figure.

According to Robert Frank’s blog, The Wealth Report, no one can agree on a specific amount.

The Federal Reserve claims you’re in the top 5% of Americans if you have a networth of $1.4 million.
In a poll by Spectrem Group of affluent people, only 22% said $1 million makes you rich.
The majority (45%) of this poll said it took at least $5 million to qualify.
A quarter of the respondents swore that you need a minimum of $25 million.
A few (8%) even put the winning number at $100 million.
Other studies find that people “always give a number that is twice their current net worth or income. Those with $100,000 in income say $200,000, while those worth $5million say $10 million.”

The best definition I’ve ever seen for “rich” goes like this: “rich is when you work because you want to, not because you have to.” I don’t know who said it, but it makes the most sense.

Anyone have a better definition than that?? Leave me a comment below.

Get the support you need to create the Wealth you desire in my virtual community of women supporting women, The Wealth Connection. Now only $47/month! Join the conversation today!

12 Surefire Tips to Successfully Negotiate

Written by Barbara Huson

To state the obvious—the most efficient way for entrepreneurs to earn more is to raise their prices.

The same holds true if you’re an employee. You must negotiate for more, whether taking a new job or requesting a raise.

Yet this comes as a revelation to many, and a source terror to most.

But think about this. Linda Babcock, in Women Don’t Ask: Negotiation and Gender Divide writes, “A woman who routinely negotiates her salary increases will earn over $1 million dollars more by the time she retires than a woman who accepts what she’s offered every time without asking for more.”

A salary offer is not a foregone conclusion. Ninety percent of Human Resource professionals polled expect salaries to be negotiated. Here are 12 surefire tips for a successful negotiation.

1. Research the going rates in your field. Ask the high end of the spectrum. You can always negotiate down, but never up.

2. Have points prepared, build a case, around your value and what you bring to the company.

3. Always start negotiations on a positive note. For example, thank the employer for the opportunity before making a counter offer.

4. “No” means “not now.”

5. Negotiate salary only after a job offer. Don’t be the first to bring it up. As one expert explained, “Make them fall in love with you before talking money.”

6. Can’t get the amount you want? Negotiate other items: early salary review, profit sharing, educational programs, etc

7. Act confident (even if you don’t feel it). Communicate with authority. Perceived confidence has a big impact.

8. Request 24 to 72 hours to think over the offer.

9. If someone acts put off by a reasonable counter offer, consider it a red flag or negotiating ploy. Perhaps the employer doesn’t value you or wants to intimidate you into agreement.

10. The best time to negotiate is when you have job offers from another company.

11. Get the offer in writing.

12, Above all, focus on relationship building. It’s tougher for someone to say ‘no’ if they like you.

How do you feel about negotiating? Leave a comment below.

Would you like to try out coaching with me? Join The Wealth Connection for six-months—Only $297 and get a 30- minute private coaching session with me! (The coaching alone is a $300 value.) Or take advantage of the twice monthly group coaching—only $47/month. JOIN TODAY!

It’s Time to Get Tough!

Written by Barbara Huson

If you wanna play a bigger game, you gotta toughen up! That means disconnecting from your Inner Pleaser and growing thicker skin.

By nature, we women want everyone’s approval. Successful women are no different. Almost everyone I’ve interviewed confessed to a “little girl inside me who wants to be liked.”

However, success requires us to make difficult, even painful, decisions that often have negative consequences for other people.

Toughening up, however, doesn’t mean you have to harden your heart, numb your senses, or go all macho.

It does mean you need to dramatically shift your priorities to: I’d rather be respected than liked.

This one shift in thinking–I’d rather be respected than liked–means developing a rhinoceroses hide while keeping an open heart. This is precisely how we’ll become strong, effective leaders without compromising our feminine nature.

As one woman told me, “I tried to be nice rather than stand by my convictions. But I learned you can’t always be liked, but you can definitely be respected.”

Where do you need to toughen up? If you’re like me, I bet it’s not just at work, but on the home-front too.

Get the support you need to create the Wealth you desire in my virtual community of women supporting women, The Wealth Connection. Now only $47/month! Join the conversation today!

Wanna Know the Real Secrets to Six-Figures?

Written by Barbara Huson

When I interviewed six-figure women, I discovered 8 secrets to becoming a high earner. They weren’t at all what I expected.

I’ve listed them below. Try them on. Test them out. Apply them to your situation. Do any conflict with your current assumptions?

Secret #1: Financial success is possible in almost any field, and lack of education doesn’t have to hold you back!

Secret #2: Working hard doesn’t mean working all the time.

Secret #3: Focus on fulfilling your values rather than achieving financial goals.

Secret #4: Loving what you do is much more important than what you do.

Secret #5: Feel the fear. Have the doubts. Go for it anyway.

Secret #6: Think in terms of trade-offs, not sacrifices, to find a workable balance.

Secret #7: Sometimes you just have to shrug it off and have a good laugh.

Secret #8: Appreciate abundance.

These 8 secrets became the guiding principles that shaped these women’s success. They certainly shaped mine. May they do the same for you.

If you’re a six-figure woman (or on your way to becoming one) share one of your secrets of success here.

Get the support you need to create the Wealth you desire in my virtual community of women supporting women, The Wealth Connection. Now only $47/month! Join the conversation today!

Life Lessons

Is Money a Pressing Priority?

Ready to Rewire for Wealth?

A Radical New Way of Making New Year’s Resolutions

Why You Probably Suck at Receiving

Consciousness Raising While Holiday Shopping

I’m in Resistance! How Do I Get Out of It?

How Do You Know When You’re Really RICH?

12 Surefire Tips to Successfully Negotiate

It’s Time to Get Tough!

Wanna Know the Real Secrets to Six-Figures?

Meet Barbara Huson

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