I’ll never forget the year I made my first six-figures.
I ran screaming to my car, drove to the liquor store, and bought myself the nicest champagne they had.
I didn’t expect to hit it; in fact, I almost quit and got a “real job” right before my big break.
I was struggling on and off with depression, and many days, I struggled just to get out of bed.
In my first year of business, I only made $63.22.
But I persevered.
I handled my obstacles like a champ. I stayed in the game.
Screenshot from an old blog post where I vulnerably shared how much I made to date.
And I made $150k in 2018.
In 2019, I made a little over $300k.
And in 2020, I pulled in over 1 MILLION dollars.
It’s possible. It’s not easier (and some people have more obstacles to overcome than others do).
Having helped hundreds of students in my Get Clients Now program, I’ve learned that hitting $100k comes down to a few repeatable steps.
In today’s post, I am going to outline the 13 steps that will take you to $100k – and beyond!
Step #1: Know your why.
Let’s do a quick heart-to-heart.
Why do you want to make $100k? What is it about this number that drives you?
Are you trying to match a previous salary? Are you stretching your goals and trying to double your income from last year? Will this amount allow you to pay off the rest of your debt?
Or are you seeing this number tossed around from Facebook group to Facebook group and feel like THIS is the magic number to hit for success?
First of all – whatever you answered here, just know it is totally ok. Your desires are valid.
But the first step is to get honest with yourself and understand your true motive for this specific amount of income.
The point is, you need to be deeply connected to your why. This will keep you motivated to constantly push forward and do the work – especially on those “I don’t feel like it” days.
Step #2: Know that it is possible.
Once we know WHY we want to make $100k in 2020, it’s time for some “mat talk.” (Netflix’s Cheer, anyone?? Omg, SO good!!)
Pump yourself up! Give your brain a pep talk.
Because it’s true: you CAN make $100k this year.
Once you tell yourself – and truly believe – that it is possible for you to meet this income goal, then you, my friend, are on the path to achieving it.
Your thoughts affect your feelings, and your feelings determine action. And action is what ultimately gets the job done!
So you need to have an unwavering belief that you WILL make $100k.
Step #3: Recognize and reframe limiting beliefs.
Yup, we’re still talking mindset in this step because it is SO IMPORTANT.
We need to recognize, disempower, and heal any limiting beliefs that come up around money, capability, expertise – everything.
“But Mariaaaaa, obviously it’s easy to say that we need to let go of these limiting beliefs, but how do we actually do this??”
I know, I get it. Changing your mindset takes intentional work. It’s something that I still work on every day!
So first, let’s realize that healing limiting beliefs is a process, and recognizing and reframing them will take time.
My second tip is to do some rabbit-hole journaling.
So whenever you experience thoughts like, “Who am I to make $100k, only people with a million followers or subscribers are able to make that amount of money, I have to hustle day and night to meet my goal….”
See that? These thoughts – fears – are not serving us. They are boxing us up and preventing any business OR personal movement, growth, or traction.
When we’re scared, we don’t take action. And if we don’t take action, well, we WON’T meet our income goals.
- So anytime you feel yourself going down this dangerous thought pattern, pull out a notebook. Take one of those fears or limiting beliefs and start journaling on it.
- Don’t worry about making it pretty or grammatically correct – just let your thoughts pour out of you and brain dump your reasons behind WHY you think x, y, z.
Once you find out the root of that fear, the healing and thought reframing can start.
TIP: I also legit do daily mindset assessments – with a paper checklist and everything! I will write out (on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being scarcity and ten being abundant) how I felt overall each day about categories like money, clients, business operations…
You don’t have to go crazy with the checklists as I do, but definitely take a few minutes each day to intentionally check in with yourself and notice how you feel.
It’s SO easy to go through our day on autopilot, isn’t it??
Between the daily assessments and rabbit-hole journaling, I’m able to stay centered, aware, and ready to take on any goal!
Step #4: Focus on selling just one offer.
Alright, my friend, now that we have our mindset work going strong, it’s time to get practical.
The power of ONE – it’s a real thing.
If you can condense your current services into one offer, marketing becomes easier and more streamlined.
You have only one service to promote and create content around. One service to talk about on a discovery call. One product to sell.
One problem you solve and solve well!
Step #5: Craft your gameplan.
Now that we have our one offer, we’re going to create a gameplan, or system for getting clients.
If you need help figuring out what to do to get more clients, you should consider joining my Get Clients Now program.)
I believe your strategy should be simple, sustainable, and something you actually enjoy doing!
Next, ask yourself what activities in your business actually make you money?
Hint: playing around with graphic options in Canva might not be something you should be spending a lot of time on.
You need to start your day with custom IGAs, or income-generating activities.
Everyone’s IGAs are different because I believe you need a custom system for getting clients.
Step #6: Put your IGA’s FIRST on your to-do list.
Once you identify your income-generating activities, you need to prioritize them.
Each and every day, you need to complete these IGA’s first. Before client work, before other, (maybe more appealing) tasks like tweaking your website copy or listening to the latest recommended podcast, do your IGA’s!
Put this reminder in your calendar, or set an alarm if you have to.
When you get into a habit and rhythm of focusing on your income-generating activities first in your business, you become intentional, disciplined, and consistent.
Exactly what you need to be to make that $100k!
Step #7: Map out the logistics.
So let’s do a little math. (But, like, FUN math because we’re talkin’ money!)
Let’s break down that $100k into the exact amount we need to make each quarter. To keep things simple, we’ll stick with exactly $100k.
$100,000 / 4 quarters = $25,000 per quarter.
Let’s now break that amount into months, then weeks.
$25,000 / 4-month quarter = $6,250 per month
$6,250 / 4 weeks = $1,562.50 per week
Now we are crystal clear on how many of our offers we need to sell each week/month/quarter to make our projected $100k!
Depending on your offer, whether it’s for a 1-1 private session, or group coaching program, or monthly membership style – you now know exactly how many clients you need to sign.
It doesn’t seem so scary, or out of reach now, does it??
Knowing your numbers helps shift that coveted $100k from “nice dream I am shooting for”…to an actual reality I am working towards daily.
Step #8: Outsource tasks and chores.
Game. Changer.
Look, as much as society tells us, or as much as we feel we need to be Superwoman and do ALL THE THINGS, the reality is we cannot.
The sooner we accept that it’s completely normal and necessary to ask for help, the sooner we regain our sanity and precious time to dedicate towards our business.
Can you think of one or two tasks you can outsource?
For example, I personally order groceries from a meal delivery service and have hired a cleaning lady.
The time and mental space this outsourcing has freed up for me is well worth it! I can use the time and energy to focus on my IGA’s and get more clients in my pipeline.
For you, maybe it’s time to think about hiring a VA. If you have children, can you hire a babysitter for a few hours, a few days a week?
Write down the tasks you can delegate and get to it!
Step #9: Cultivate a money-making mindset.
Repeat after me:
Money flows to me easily and effortlessly. My next pay-in-full client is on her way!
I pump myself up and boost my attitude with these positive affirmations. And you know what? I have always hit (or even surpassed!) my income goals!
I’m not saying this to brag – I 100% believe the same can happen for you if you cultivate a money-making mindset.
Think of money as a neutral resource that you can do good, helpful, impactful things with. Treat it with appreciation and gratitude.
AND know that you are worthy, deserving, and open to receiving money!
If you’re looking to strengthen your mindset around receiving money, I highly recommend the following books:
- Dollars Flow to Me Easily
- Get Rich, Lucky Bitch: Release Your Money Blocks and Live a First-Class Life
- You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth
Any others you recommend?? Let me know in the comments!!
Step #10: Surround yourself with those who have the results you want.
We are the average of the five people we most spend time with.
So if we want to level-up in our business, and aspire to the same income or influence as certain people we admire, then we need to put ourselves in their sphere.
Adapt their strategies or behaviors.
Join their programs or be a part of the communities they hang out in. Consume their content.
It also means initiating conversations, making connections, and forging friendships with other entrepreneurs who have the same goals and visions as we do.
Step #11: Dream BIG.
Cast a vision of your ideal life, no limits.
Where do you live? Who are you enjoying life with? What does your day-to-day look like?
Those big dreams that you hold deep inside? They are in your heart for a reason.
If you allow yourself to visualize your dream situation in detail and with clarity, you are more likely to take inspired action each day.
And consistent, inspired action leads to your desired result!
Your dreams can be your reality, so here’s your permission to live in abundance!
Step #12: Practice gratitude on a daily basis.
This might be my FAVORITE one because I have seen amazing, amazing results from practicing daily gratitude.
Gratitude will shift and change your life.
Every client I am able to help, every dollar that comes my way, every opportunity my business has…I give deep, intentional, and heartfelt thanks.
When you are observant of everything around you and realize that everything happens in your favor, I mean, you can’t HELP but express true gratitude.
That discovery call that didn’t result in a client? That’s ok! It wasn’t a good match, and it just means you have space for your perfectly-matched client! Be grateful for the sales call practice and for the fact that you get to work only with your dream clients!
Gratitude gives you a new perspective on life and business, and I believe it is a crucial step for reaching your first $100k year.
Step #13: Stick to your goals, come hell or high water.
Now, here’s the thing.
Even though we’ve planned out the numbers and we have our monthly income goals, and we’re cultivating a money mindset and practicing gratitude…
There WILL be moments when you feel unmotivated, defeated, and want to give up.
We’re human, after all!
But that’s why, no matter what emotions you’re feeling, this is when you need to rely on your discipline and those habits you’ve worked so hard to create.
Remain committed to your gameplan, no matter what mood you happen to be in.
When you show up consistently online, you are building traction for your business. If you take a few days off, a few weeks off…well, any traction you built has declined.
No one wants to start at ground zero again, right??
As long as you remain consistent, pushing through any momentary doubts or blocks, you will maintain your traction and – finally, finally! – get to celebrate a $100k year!
Psssst! Want all the behind-the-scenes insight into how I run my successful online million-dollar business?
I’ll share the exact process I used to create $100k cash months in my online business. Just $7!
