Ideas for how to get paid for being exactly yourself

1. Create an umbrella term for your dream role

Story time ... This is exactly what I did when I invented the title: “Fulfillment Coach.” I often tell clients that one of the most powerful moments in my life was when a friend and fellow coach asked me what I really wanted to be in work and in life. I answered sheepishly as if everyone in the world wanted what I wanted, and wasn’t truly allowed to have yet. I said, “I’d love to be a coach in a few years once I’m ready and more experienced, one who helps people live more fulfilling lives: you know, like a fulfillment coach.” He paused for a long time and said “Jenna - you know you can start being that right now if you want to? Just because you don’t have a website or roster of clients doesn’t mean you can’t start being that right now. Why wait to start living that life?” He asked me to stand up confidently and say it out loud - “I am a Fulfillment Coach.” When I heard those words emerge from my vocal cords, something changed inside of me. It was the moment my life turned on with flashing green go lights. Tingling with the permission to stop waiting and go for my dreams.

Every decision after that was a choice to be that very person  I’d spoken into existence that day. In that moment, my sabotaging brain stopped pushing off my dreams for a later day because I decided to begin. I took ownership with the invitation and felt immensely alive about this new role (though still a bit terrified, as though I was running straight into a freezing cold ocean). That day, I reached out to my first set of sample clients and started walking the talk. It changed me forever.

Your dream role’s umbrella term doesn’t have to make sense to others right away (people often needed an explanation for mine). It could also be extremely simple like “Founder” or “Floral Designer.” All you have to do is be truthful about what it means to you; it has to be YOURS and no one else’s. The title you land on is about who you want to be in the world so you can do the things that energize you. It’s your starting point, it’s the place that allows you to be a dynamic human being with more than one skill or passion if that’s who you are. Many of my role models and mentors have done it (Sarah Cargill “Creative Sense Maker,” Jacki Carr “Goal Coach,” Mary Beth LaRue “Embodiment Coach,” Annemarie Estess, “Learning Designer”) . Take a look around on LinkedIn and you’ll start seeing some of those titles others have claimed for themselves.

I know what you’re thinking…What if who I want to be doesn’t fit so neatly into a title like yours? Hear me out. The exact title doesn’t matter - it’s the container that you put yourself in that does. Whatever you decide to be, you will be, and it’s okay to iterate. If you want to start as a “Holistic Business Owner” or a “Media Curator” or a “Mindset Coach” or a “Communications Strategist” go for it. The world is your blank canvas! Some of the above titles have given my friends and clients permission to breathe, grow and evolve within their work in transformative ways. Words have power and can create our reality in this way - I’ve seen it firsthand. With a design like this, work will not silo you. You can be paid to be exactly who you want to be, resentment free.

2. Find “expanders”

Find 3-5 people who you relate to on some deep soul level who makes money doing what they love. These are the people who you share “mirror neurons” of desire with. Often when I facilitate this exercise with clients, they find people on Instagram or LinkedIn who they’ve never met who are doing something that sparks a sincere joy or kinship in them they can’t quite explain. Perhaps it’s their eye contact and warmth as an instructor, or the quirky creativity of their online shop, or whip smart humor in their leadership Medium articles. Sometimes expanders are favorite relatives, next door neighbors, or best friends. Once we find those people, ask them questions like “How do you recommend someone like me get from point A to point B?” After talking to them and learning about the path they took, you might just hear your inner leader telling you something like, “If she can do it, then so can I.”

Start imperfectly people. I promise you can.

3. Make it semi-real

Draft a website in developer mode (to keep things private) where you can play with how you might create offerings, services, package ideas and products. Check out what your expanders are doing and see if anything inspires you. Experiment with ways you can make money. Seeing this on something as tangible like a SquareSpace site might just be the thing that drives you to make it a reality. Remember, you don’t have to publish it, sometimes just the act of seeing the business in such a state will help you make the invisible a bit more visible somehow, someway.

4. Test the options on the side

Psychologically, the best time to invest in your business idea is while you have an income of some kind. Call it a “side-hustle” or “testing your dream prototype.” Launch the site, start offering services at low cost or pro bono, and whatever you do - get feedback! See what works and what doesn’t. Try software tools or go analog and interview folks over the phone or video chat. Do anything to try and iterate on your idea! I promise, falling forward is way better than standing still.

5. Tell everyone who knows you and loves you what you're dreaming about

Allow yourself to be vulnerable. This can be especially hard for the perfectionist and completionist inside many of us! However, the moment you declare who you are and what your gifts are opportunities start to arise. Small seeds will start to be planted below your feet.

6. Clarify your accountability system

Find your way of staying accountable. Some people work well with Google calendar reminders, some to their accountability buddies, some to the gold star chart on their fridge, some to their partners or mothers, some to their hired coaches. I don’t care how you stay accountable to your desires, but make sure you pick a system that honestly works with who you are, and don’t be afraid to invest if that’s the only thing in your way. It’s a small price to pay for momentum.

7. Get resourceful and partner up

Let’s face it, lift off can have fits and starts. It often takes years to fully get into that groove as a business owner, consultant or freelancer. Do not fret - this is part of the refreshing nature of the cold ocean you ran into you. Remember, you are LIVING! This is where you are invited to get creative, get resourceful and partner up! Look for other entrepreneurs who are doing similar things to share resources or project ideas with. You may even team up with organizations that could use your expertise, or post offerings on websites like Upwork, Freelancer, Facebook or Craigslist to start.

Final thoughts

Even during a global pandemic, I truly believe if there’s a will there’s a way, as long as you are being safe. I also believe hearts are a bit more open, making it conducive for genuine networking opportunities. Where there is internal motivation there is energy and passion. People like to help those with sincerity in their voice. And where there is passion there is authentic expertise, higher quality, increased follow through and therefore impact. Never let anyone tell you it’s unrealistic or selfish to pursue the work in your heart that makes you feel the most alive. That’s your decision to make, not theirs. Live in alignment with your values, the world needs more of that.