Will raising your prices make you a terrible person?

Near tears, a client was remembering the shame and terribleness of being relatively poor while surrounded by other students who were extremely rich at an upper scale college. Rich enough that they were driving their own BMWs. Rich enough that they would buy new clothes instead of washing their dirty ones. Never-any-worries-about-money rich.

And these rich young adults acted in ways that showed callousness, a lack of care, a lack of empathy for others.

For myself, I remember volunteering with the local rescue squad as a 17-year old high school student, and going door-to-door in uniform asking for donations. In the poorer neighborhoods, everyone was friendly, everyone had five bucks for us. However, in the wealthier neighborhoods, with gates at the end of long, long driveways, so long you sometimes couldn’t see the house, who spoke to you through an intercom, would often tell us, “No thank you.” “Don’t have a heart attack,” we would reply into the no-longer-listening speaker.

We have associated terrible behavior with wealth, for extremely legitimate reasons- the reasons being that we have seen sometimes terrible behavior from wealthy people.

Two lessons to learn.

There are two things I wanted my client to know (she actually got to them herself, in her heart), and I want you to know them, too.

One is kind of obvious. You don’t have to be *that* kind of wealthy person, should you ever come into wealth. You can cultivate kindness and empathy and generosity. There are people with wealth who are doing just that.

The second lesson is sometimes harder to see.

It’s this truth: raising your prices to a sustainable level will probably not bring you “throw your dirty clothes out and buy new ones” kind of wealth.

For my client, raising her prices just meant that she could have fun with her own clients and students, and pay the bills.

Often the care in our hearts keeps us safe from breaking our sense of integrity. However, if followed unconsciously, it can create unreasonable boundaries for ourselves.

For many of the folks we work with, straight-up doubling, or even tripling their prices will not turn them into millionaires. For that, there are many other pieces of business development needed.

I share this because for you to embrace sustainable pricing for yourself, you are most likely still very much not at risk at becoming a callously wealthy person.

For instance: A practitioner that charges US$85/session and has a relatively full schedule, maybe does a total of 45 sessions per month.

US$85 x 45 = US$3825/month = US$45900/year

Triple that price, and the numbers get bigger for sure.

US$255 x 45 = US$11475 = US$137700

That is a fantastic annual income, for sure. And, it is NOT a “throw your clothes out when they’re dirty, absolutely no worries about money ever” kind of wealth.

(Not to mention it’s quite a leap to triple prices.)

Let me be clear, if you are aiming for that kind of revenue, or maybe you’re already there, I’m celebrating and cheering you on, if it’s done ethically and with care.

Take a moment with this.

If you do have reactions to wealth, and you are concerned about becoming “too” wealthy for any number of reasons, I want you to embrace two things.

First, embrace that you care to be a kind person. You want to act in ethical ways, and that integrity is important to you. Rest into your commitment to that.

Secondly, feel your need, and your desire, to have a sustainable income. You would enjoy making enough money not just to survive, but for life to feel fun and doable.

Then, ask in your heart, ask the Divine, is there room for both?

Allow yourself to sit with this, in curiosity, with sincerity. Can both co-exist? No matter how much you know, or think you know the answer, ask with real openness, and see what your heart says.

I so want you to have a sustainable, ethical business that is flying, that is fun for you.

With love,

Mark Silver, M. Div.
Heart of Business, Inc.
Every act of business can be an act of love.

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