What I Wish I Could Tell My Younger Self About Building a Six-Figure Online Business

I had a full circle moment the other day listening to my recent episode of the Business Over Cocktails Podcast with Lauren Najar.

I was interviewing her about her own business journey and mindset - which is so funny because she'll be the first to tell you that 6 years ago when we first met, she was NOT a mindset person. She was all about "just do the work."

That conversation got me reflecting on my own business journey and how much has changed since I started.

I Didn't Call Myself a "Business Owner" for 10 Years

While I've technically been selling services online for over 15 years, for a good decade of that journey, I didn't consider myself a "business owner."

I was a freelancer.

(I know, basically the same thing depending who you ask).

But I wasn't in the mindset of owning a business. I was learning everything I could about marketing, building websites, honing my copywriting and SEO skills, working with paying clients, but I was NOT an entrepreneur.

My big goal? Make $1,000 per month online. That was my version of "making it."

Because in my mind, entrepreneurs were those overly competitive tech bros who run on caffeine and confidence and say things like "synergy" and "let's circle back on those KPIs."

They weren't introverted-yet-slightly-adhd 20-somethings working from her laptop on a couch in Michigan.

I’m SO SERIOUS about how deep this mindset ran. During my Master's program, I had to take a course called "Sociology of Entrepreneurship." One of our discussion board assignments asked us to reflect on what we'd learned…

My response was literally like, "Yeah, this was really interesting and I learned a lot about entrepreneurship, but I don't think I'll ever be one."

You guys, I was literally already making money online when I wrote that. I had a few regular SEO ghostwriting clients and had built several websites by then. But somehow, I still wasn't an "entrepreneur."

Flash forward to today: I've made multi-six figures working online.

My business pays me more in a year than any corporate job I've ever had. I work from wherever I want (which is often still the couch), I set my own schedule, and choose clients I actually enjoy working with. I spent over a month traveling Bulgaria and Greece this year (my literal DREAM for as long as I can remember - traveling and working online).

And there are so many days I wish I could sit down with that version of me who was so worried about being "qualified enough" to make $1,000 per month, let alone a full-time income online.

She was spending hours applying to jobs she didn't really want, just because they felt "safe." She was taking on projects that paid pennies because she thought that's all she was worth. She was convinced she needed another degree, another certification, another something before anyone would take her seriously.

Meanwhile, she already had everything she needed to build something incredible.

I could've saved myself from literal YEARS of Sunday Scaries and tears driving to a job I hated. Years of feeling trapped in a cubicle, watching the clock, and wondering if this was really all there was.

The business I have now started with that same laptop on that same couch in Michigan. The only thing that needed to change was my belief in what was possible.

4 Things I'd Tell My Younger Self About Building an Online Business

If I could go back and share what I know now, here's exactly what I'd tell her:

Start the Blog (Yes, Really)

I know everyone says blogging is dead and you feel cringe about it. But I promise those hours you spend writing for yourself will pay off more than any of those ghostwriting gigs that barely cover your coffee budget.

Your future clients are searching for exactly what you know. Help them find you.

Stop Undercharging Because You Feel Guilty About Money

Your pricing should reflect your skill and expertise, not your imposter syndrome. That $25/hour rate isn't "humble" - it's just teaching people that your work isn't valuable.

I spent years undercharging because I felt guilty asking for what my work was worth. The irony? When I finally raised my prices, clients respected me more, not less.

Say No Way More Often

To projects that drain you. To clients who make your stomach drop when their name pops up in your inbox. To every "quick favor" that somehow turns into a full project.

Your energy is finite. Guard it!

Every yes to something that drains you is a no to something that could fill you up.

Stop Collecting Certifications

You're already qualified to help people. No one is checking your wall of certificates and diplomas before they book with you. They care about results, not how many courses you've completed.

I wasted so much time thinking I needed "one more certification" before I could call myself an expert. Meanwhile, I was already solving problems and getting real results for people.

You're Closer Than You Think

If you're reading this and you're somewhere in that messy middle, building something but not sure you're "enough" yet - this one's for you.

• Maybe you're the freelancer who's been doing great work for years but still introduces yourself as "just a freelancer."

• Maybe you're the coach who has incredible results with clients but still feels like you're "playing pretend" at entrepreneurship.

• Maybe you're the wellness practitioner who knows she's undercharging but keeps prices low because charging more feels "too salesy."

I see you. I was you.

You're closer than you think. You just need to stop getting in your own way.

The expertise you think you're missing? You probably already have it. The confidence you're waiting for? It comes from doing the work, not from feeling ready first. The "right time" to call yourself a business owner? It was probably six months ago.

That goal that feels impossible right now - whether it's your first $1,000 month, your first $10,000 month, or something bigger - someone who started exactly where you are has already achieved it.

The only difference between where you are and where you want to be isn't more credentials or more experience.

It's believing you deserve to be there.

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