Why Being ‘Affordable’ Is Keeping You Broke (And What to Do Instead)
I used to wear “broke” like it meant something.
Like it proved I was a good person.
Like it made me more trustworthy.
Like it showed that I actually cared.
I’d say things like:
“I just want to be accessible.”
“I don’t want money to be the reason someone can’t get help.”
“I’m not in this just for the money.”
I thought it sounded admirable.
Little did I know it was wrecking my business.
The Part I Resented and Didn’t Want to Admit
I was undercharging.
Not a little.
A lot.
And I knew it.
I had the receipts:
Clients getting production perfect samples in 1-2 revisions when the industry norm was 5
Project timelines moving MONTHS ahead of industry norms
Problems being solved that other people in the industry didn’t even have on their radar yet
But my pricing?
Still playing it “safe”.
Still hovering just under average.
Still trying not to “scare anyone off.”
Why did I feel more comfortable being underpaid… than being fully seen?
Because that’s what this really was.
Not a pricing problem.
A visibility problem.
A worthiness problem.
An identity problem.
The Martyr Blueprint (a.k.a. The Trap That Feels Noble But Isn’t)
There’s this quiet belief a lot of high-performing, service-based business owners carry:
“If I’m really good at what I do… I shouldn’t need to charge that much.”
Or worse:
“Good people don’t make that much money.”
So we:
Overdeliver
Undercharge
Stay available
Stay flexible
Stay “easy to work with”
And we call it service.
But it’s not.
It’s self-abandonment… dressed up as kindness.
What It Was Actually Costing Me
At first, it just looked like:
Lower income
Longer hours
A little bit of stress
But over time?
It turned into:
Resentment toward clients
Exhaustion I couldn’t shake
That constant feeling of “why is this still so hard?”
My clients were thrilled.
My bank account?
Not so much.
I felt like the most successful failure ever.
The Identity Gap
Your revenue doesn’t match your skill.
It matches your self-concept.
Let that sit for a second.
Because you can:
Be incredible at what you do
Deliver real results
Have years of experience
And still be pricing like someone who’s “just getting started.”
Why?
Because part of you still sees yourself that way.
Things Finally Shifted
It wasn’t when I learned a new pricing strategy.
It wasn’t when I “figured out my niche.”
It was the moment I realized:
I had built a business that required me to shrink to maintain it.
And I didn’t want that anymore.
So I did the thing I had been avoiding.
I raised my prices.
And No—It Wasn’t Comfortable
I wish I could tell you I felt confident.
I didn’t.
I felt exposed.
Like I had just put a spotlight on myself and said,
“Okay… now we’re really going to find out if I’m as good as I think I am.”
But I did it anyway.
The Unexpected
I thought I’d get pushback from clients on my new pricing. Everytime I mentioned my new rates I felt like I was going to have a mild panic attack.
As I said the price out loud I’d have thoughts like “they’re gonna say that’s too much”.
Instead… the nightmare clients?
G.O.N.E.
The ones who:
Questioned everything
Pushed boundaries
Needed constant reassurance
Texted me at 10p and turned around and called me at 6a because they “had a thought”
They disappeared.
Instead I got clients who:
Trusted my process
Paid without hesitation
Respected my time
It felt like I had stepped into a completely different business. It was all a little surreal at first.
Stop Undercharging
Undercharging is not humility.
It’s misalignment.
It’s what happens when:
Your skill has outgrown your self-concept
Your results have outpaced your pricing
And your business is still being run by an outdated version of you
And the longer you stay there?
The heavier it feels.
Why This Keeps So Many People Stuck
This isn’t an easy, logical solution.
You can’t spreadsheet your way out of it.
You can’t “just raise your prices” and magically feel different.
Every time you try to push your way through it-
That voice shows up:
“What if they say no?”
“What if I’m not worth it?”
“What if I lose everything I’ve built?”
So you stay where it’s safe.
Even if “safe” is slowly draining you.
Where the Real Work Happens
Not in your pricing sheet.
Not in your offer stack.
In your identity.
Who you believe you are.
Who you believe you’re allowed to be.
And how much you’re willing to be seen.
Because here’s the truth:
You’re not paid at the level you deserve.
You’re paid at the level you’re willing to own.
This Is Exactly Why I Built Brand Masonry
I lived this.
And I see it every day.
Brilliant business owners:
Stuck in underpriced offers
Attracting the wrong clients
Working way harder than they should be
Not because they’re doing it wrong.
But because their brand, pricing, and identity are out of sync.
Inside Brand Masonry, we fix that.
We burn the martyr blueprint.
We realign your pricing with your actual value.
We build a brand that reflects the level you’re already operating at—so your clients can finally see it too.
If your pricing doesn’t match your expertise…
You’re not just leaving money on the table.
You’re building a business that quietly depends on you staying small.
So Let Me Ask You This
Are you still trying to be liked…
Or are you ready to be respected?
Because those two paths lead to very different businesses.
Your Next Move
If you’re done:
Overworking
Undercharging
And questioning your own value
Then it’s time to fix the real issue.
👉 Grab Brand Masonry here: Get Brand Masonry- Instant Access!
or if you’re the “I don’t have time just fix it for me” type start with our MAVERICK Audit— Schedule Your Audit
But don’t keep wearing “broke” like it’s a personality trait.
You didn’t build this business to prove how much you can handle.
You built it to create freedom.
Let’s actually make that happen.