Hey Reader,

By my early 30s and after two pretty significant false starts, I should have had my financial shit together. But after being left in debt by my ex and owing the tax man, I was still struggling to fully grasp my numbers or plan ahead. It was just easier to put things on the credit card, pay it off each month, and then—without even thinking—re-spend what I’d just cleared.

So here we go... another $25k+ to my name and absolutely nothing to show for it.

Looking back, it sounds ridiculous. It wasn’t like I didn’t know how money worked. But money isn’t just numbers on a screen—it’s emotional. And I? I am 100% an emotional spender.

The solution this time? Debt reconciliation loan (another one) and get rid of the credit card completely. Eventually - five years later - I allowed myself to have another credit card with a very low limit. Even now while I am approved for tens of thousands in lending, my low rate Visa is only a $500 limit.

These three money emails - they don't contain any secret formula for getting out of debt. But they are such a common story that we don't tend to share very openly. Understandably. But no one is born with money smarts. Just like you probably weren't taught specifically how to be a business owner.

So here are my three hard earned lessons about money:

1. Shame grows in the dark. If you’re hiding debt from people you trust, don’t. The more I talked about it, the easier it became to face. And turns out people I knew also had financial goals they were chasing - so we chased them together.
2. I need a goal. Something specific and achievable—something I can track weekly and actually see progress on. If it’s too big, too far away, or not meaningful enough? Forget about it. I’ll default straight back to treat-yo-self mode.
3. Falling off the wagon doesn't mean you give up. There were plenty of times when my goal wasn’t motivating enough, and I slipped back into old habits. But over time, I became quicker at putting my hand up and saying, I’m the problem, it’s me, let’s do a reset—instead of just continuing down a destructive financial path.

And to no one's surprise, it's exactly the same in business...

👉 Shame grows in the dark. If you’re struggling with sales, client retention, or money management, pretending it’s fine doesn’t help. But when you open up about it, you realise you’re not alone—AND you’re more likely to find a solution.

👉 You need a goal. Not just make more money—but something specific, achievable, and meaningful. If your business goal is too vague or too far away, it’s easy to default to whatever is easiest in the moment. (Usually busy work that feels productive but doesn’t actually move you forward.)

👉 Falling off the wagon doesn’t mean you quit. There will be weeks and months when you miss your targets, get caught up in distractions, or revert to old habits. That doesn’t mean you’re failing—it just means you need to notice it, reset, and continue.

When I work with my clients, we spend time getting to the hard facts about money. No shame. Just the numbers. Because once you see the truth of where things stand, you can actually do something about it.

And the reason I focus so much on things like boundaries? That’s one of the real emotional drivers behind so many of your money behaviours.

The way you price, discount, chase, or avoid money is rarely just about the numbers—it’s about what’s underneath them.

Love your work,

Rachel

PS I am bringing back my Business Boundaries Bootcamp for 2025.
​Join me next week for 90 mins of big hype girl energy so I can tell you all about why you deserve a boundaried business, and how crucially it's the secret to generating more revenue (without extra selling). Yes there is always a recording.

Join me here​