Cut your losses without shame.

If you’ve made a mistake, own it and move on or it will sap your energy, which you can put to better use elsewhere. You will keep making mistakes. Just make better mistakes tomorrow. No biggie.

Your self-worth (process) is not your results (outcomes).

It’s seductive to focus obsessively over your expenses.

They’re easy to quantify and give you, the small business owner, the illusion of control. It’s satisfying to shave off costs — to eliminate the duplicate subscriptions, the apps you no longer use, or to order the toilet paper in bulk. There, in black and white, is proof of your business acumen.

When I was a kid I was obsessed with hot dog trees.

So besotted was I with the idea of trees festooned with sausages that I made my mother read the Raggedy Ann and Andy books out loud to me over and over. I even had dolls of the characters — they had red yarn hair, triangle noses, and black button eyes. When I had kids of my own I bought the book and promptly nominated my mom for sainthood, because it was nauseatingly saccharine.

Do you love a bargain but hate to give your customers one?

As a business mentor, I’ve worked with service providers (e.g. bodyworkers, coaches) who hate pricing a bundle of sessions at discount.

Elon Musk did not invest in Twitter.

You’re starting to make real money.

More than you’ve ever made before. You’re a healer, coach, or therapist and your business is finally starting to take off. You’ve conquered your fear of selling, you’ve grown confident in your skills, and you’re finally charging enough.

Yet too much money can be as scary as too little.