Is it because of fear? Are we afraid of judgment? Are we afraid of what other might think, or of what others might say?

Whatever the reason is, I want to you to understand that your feelings around charging what you are worth are learned feelings.

They don’t exist when we are young. They are feelings that were created and accepted by the rules, judgments, and expectations put on us by other people.

When we are young all we have is confidence. As children we believe in ourselves. We believe we can charge $2.00 for a paper cup of lemonade. We believe everyone will buy a bar of chocolate to support our sports team. We believe in our own decisions.

Take my daughter for example. In kindergarten, her class was learning about money. To reinforce their lessons, her teacher planned a Kindergarten flea market. For the flea market, each child had to bring in three things from home to sell at their table. So my daughter picked out two small toys and a book to sell.

For weeks before the flea market, kids earned pennies for good deeds at home and at school. They were then able to spend the pennies at the Flea Market.

Soon came the day of flea market. When my daughter came home she was so excited. She had several toys and giant handful of money, and she wasn’t explaining very well how that came to be. I was concerned and wondered if she accidentally had another child’s things. But Natalie was insistent that she simply bought and sold her items and her money was leftover.

When I spoke to her teacher, she told me that in the thirteen years she had done this exercise in class, not one student has ever done what my daughter did. I was nervous to hear what was coming next…

You see, each child was responsible for setting the price of their own items and created their price tags etc. Most kids set their prices at one penny per item. My daughter on the other hand, priced each of her items at ten cents – and as a result, she raked in it big time at the class flea market and even bought her little brother a present.

When I asked her about it later, she simply told me that she thought her toys and book were worth more than a penny. She felt they were worth a dime.

When I asked, “Were you worried no one would buy them for a dime?” She looked at me as if I were crazy and simply responded with, “No, I was selling the best stuff. Plus, I only needed to sell one thing to get what I wanted.”

She didn’t care what any one else thought. She didn’t price her items lower just because everyone else did. She knew in her heart what her offerings were worth and do you know why the other kids paid he higher prices or the same types of toys all the other kids were selling?

They gave her exactly what she asked for.

She wasn’t afraid to stand tall, tell her classmates the value of her offerings, and make the ask.

As children we were all the same… so why is it now, as adults, so many of us struggle to get paid what we are worth simply because we don’t ever ask for it?

I learned two valuable lessons that day.

Lesson One: We talk a lot of business in front of our kids. Strategy, approach, pricing, you name it. Never underestimate how much of your conversations rub off on your children.

Lesson Two: All the fears I had around charging my worth are fears I let in. It was my choice to let them affect me and my business. To truly succeed, I needed to rediscover the unabashed childhood confidence, belief in myself, and make the ask.

So, what about you?

Have your kids experiences taught you about your own worth? Or have you had another experience that got you to step up and start charging your worth? Share you thoughts below and leave a comment…

At the end of the Ali Brown Shine event, I was speaking with some ladies in the lobby area and one asked me if I had my brand/business card evaluated by Ali’s billionaire business coach during one of the breaks.

No way.

I have to say they were a little surprised. You see, they had assumed that as a branding/marketing expert that I would love to get advice from someone so important.

When they asked why I wasn’t one of the women huddled around this billionaire business coach for jockeying for a few words critiquing my business card, my answer was simple.

I don’t care.

Yep. That’s right. I said it. I don’t care.

Let me explain… I’m a graphic designer. I actually have my Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design. I have been designing brands, websites, logos, and sales materials since 1997 and I’d like to think I get design.

I spent a lot of time designing my logo and developing my own brand – a brand that is totally and completely representative of me. I love it and almost everyone who sees my logo or visits my site comments about how much they love it.

Plus, my brand is consistently represented both online and off and nothing anyone says will convince me to change my brand.

Why? Because it IS my brand.

I am sure that some of the biggest brands in the world have people that criticize their logo or their marketing from time to time. But do you see them changing their brand because of one person’s opinion? No. They know who they are. They know what their business represents. They are confident in their position.

So my message to you today is to stay true to your brand and what represents you. Let anyone who criticizes your brand have their say and just let it go.

Have confidence in yourself and confidence in your business. Stand firm in your brand both now, and in the years to come. Soon you’ll see that others will be attracted to your brand and advocate for your band right alongside you.