Your Profit Isn’t Real Until It’s In Your Pocket

I used to say, “But I made $10K this month!”
And then stare at my bank balance and wonder how the hell that was true.

Sound familiar?

If you’re bringing in what looks like solid revenue and still feel like you're scrambling to pay yourself (or worse, not paying yourself at all), you’re not alone. And no, you’re not bad at business. You’re just stuck in the same trap most of us fall into when we start: confusing cash flow with actual profit.

Let’s talk about it.

The myth of the thriving business

For a long time, I thought I was doing well because I had steady sales and clients who were happy. My business was growing. On paper, it looked successful. But I was stuck in this hamster wheel of more, more, more…more clients, more offers, more team members, more hours. And yet… I wasn’t taking home more money.

I had a full roster and an empty wallet.

I remember one month clearly. I made over $12,000 in revenue. I celebrated with my husband, had a glass of wine (this was pre-sobriety days), and felt like I was finally “doing it.” But then came payroll. Subscriptions. Contractors. Software. That course I had to have. And suddenly I was staring at my account wondering how I only had $800 left.

I didn’t build this business to live paycheque to paycheque. Especially not in my own damn business.

You can’t pay the bills with fake profit

Here’s the deal: revenue is just how loud your business sounds. Profit is what you get to keep. And real profit (the kind that lets you sleep at night) is what shows up in your personal bank account after all the bills are paid and your needs are met.

I work with women bringing in six figures a year (or even multiple six) who still can’t take a vacation without stressing about it. They have full client rosters and beautiful websites but are secretly worried about their credit card balances. They’re stuck in this loop where everything looks good from the outside, but inside? They’re exhausted and underpaid.

If you’re not paying yourself reliably, your business isn’t working for you. It’s working you.

And here’s what really gets me: most of them think they’re the problem. They think they just need to be more disciplined. Or sell more. Or manage their money better. When in reality, they just haven’t been shown how to build in profit from the start.

The undercurrent no one talks about

You know what else messes with all of this? Midlife. Hormones. Exhaustion that doesn’t go away after a weekend off. I hit the wall during menopause. I couldn’t keep pushing through. Couldn’t rely on adrenaline anymore. My body told me to sit the hell down. And that was when I realized I had built a business that required me to be “on” all the time.

You know what doesn't work when your hormones hijack your brain and energy levels? A business model that only profits when you’re sprinting full speed.

So I had to change things. I had to make it simpler, cleaner, more sustainable. I had to start thinking about what profit really meant…because it sure as hell wasn’t just a revenue goal or a pretty spreadsheet. It was the money that let me rest, breathe, and know that my business could support me, not deplete me.

How I flipped it around

I started by getting honest. Brutally honest.

I pulled up my numbers and calculated how much money I was actually taking home. Not revenue. Not what I paid my team. Not what I reinvested. Just me.

Then I asked the hard questions:

• Why do I feel guilty paying myself?

• What expenses are tied to ego or insecurity, not actual business needs?

• How much of this is me trying to keep up with online business expectations?

Turns out? A lot.

So I stripped it all back. I went back to basics. I got clear on what offers were actually profitable and what was just “busyness.” I raised prices where they needed raising. I cut things that weren’t helping. I built a plan that made sure I got paid first.

And I started building in profit like it was a non-negotiable. Because it is.

What real profit looks like

Let’s be honest…it’s not always a big dramatic win. Sometimes it’s just the quiet relief of knowing your bills are covered and there’s money left for you.

Profit looks like:

• Paying yourself on time, every time

• Not wondering if your next launch will save you

• Having a buffer for when life hits (because life will hit)

• Being able to take a break without your bank account falling apart

• Knowing exactly what’s coming in and what’s going out and feeling empowered, not anxious, when you check

That’s the kind of profit that changes everything. And that’s what we should be aiming for.

If you’re stuck in the spin, start here

Here’s where I recommend starting (not with another course or mastermind or 10-step funnel), but with this:

1. Know your numbers.
   Look at what you made last month. Then look at what you paid yourself. That’s your real profit.

2. Set a minimum take-home goal.
   Even if it’s small. $500. $1,000. Build your pricing around that.

3. Audit your expenses.
   Be ruthless. Do you really need that subscription? Is that team member doing what you think they are? Is that software paying off?

4. Raise your rates (yes, really).
   If your current pricing doesn’t allow you to make a profit and pay yourself, it’s time.

5. Simplify.
   Profit doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from doing the right things, well.
   

Profit isn’t selfish…It’s survival

You didn’t start your business to be broke and tired and stuck. You started it for freedom. So let’s make that real. And let’s stop celebrating revenue like it’s the whole story. Because the only number that matters at the end of the day is the one that hits your personal bank account.

That’s the money that feeds your family. Pays your mortgage. Buys you time. That’s the money that lets you keep going.

So let’s make sure you actually see it.

If you’re not sure where your money’s going (or why you’re working so hard for so little) 👉take the free Money Wellness Quiz and get clear. Or reach out. I’ll help you figure it out. No shame, just solutions.

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