To ask you to share how you did it

[Moneymanifestor]

Not a TAAT but inspired by one and a comment from another MNer. I'm a prolific name changer but I predate penis beaker.

I've seen a few threads lately about marrying rich, high earning husband's etc. and I thought it was time to ask the high earning women here to share how they did it. I'd would put a high earner at 70k and above.

I'm a business owner and my company makes multi 6 figures a year. I sell digital courses and consultancy. I have 1 virtual assistant and my business model is very lean. My salary to myself is 250k.

I left school at 17 with no qualifications. I didn't go to university. I worked in admin for 10 years before deciding I'd had enough of earning 25k. I did a course for 1 year part time despite struggling to afford the tuition. I bought a domain for £25 a year and set up my website. I wrote my first course based on what I had learned and started to sell it. The first year I made 50k and it's grown each year. My business is 3 years old!!

My username is a positivity anchor for me. I had to do a huge shift in mindset and it's one of the ways I remind myself that business isn't a zero sum game. I want to hear from other high earners that didn't start from a position of privilege because I want other women to see that with today's technology anyone can start a business for less than 100 quid.

Wow sounds amazing OP. I don’t have a story to tell but can you share how you manage risk? Your salary sounds amazing but I’m not sure from what you said how you actually achieved that?

I have amazing contractors that I bring on when I need it. I have a retainer with an IT company that is on 24/7 standby and it's not a huge retainer as again my site is lean.

At product launch time I subcontract IT, 2 customer service reps and another virtual assistant. My accountant is pay as you go as is my lawyer. I don't actually have employees.

My business works like this. I have 4 evergreen digital courses so they're available 24/7 and are self paced. They're priced between £30 to £275. I run another 2 courses 4 times a year that are 6 weeks and 12 weeks but these are live with me and include 121 work. These are both £1495 (I take monthly payments) and my last course had 175 people for example. Those courses X 4 times a year are where I make the most money but they're hard work!!

Like your style OP. I find stories of people who just do it inspirational.

Well done you. Hope you get lots of responses.

That’s really inspiring OP!

I’m not at 70k yet but I will be. I’m a solicitor and the route to promotion / pay increases is very clear and well established. I intend to be on 70k by 2022.

The training is intense and once you qualify the hours can be long, but the work is very interesting and rewarding. I am wary of recommending it because it’s very competitive and over-subscribed, but it’s very possible to make a good living if you do make it.

Following out of nosiness, I thought I was doing quite well when I got 23k/year

OP, can you tell us what kind of course you sell? Is it some sort of business/marketing thing? How did you make people aware of it in the first place? (I know you'll probably have to be vague, but I'm really curious!)

Yeah I'll have to be vague sorry

I don't advertise, I do hook and lure marketing. I offer loads of free products (ebooks, checklists etc.) webinars and downloadable resources in exchange for email addresses. Then at product launch I email my list and start giving away free tasters via webinar and YouTube videos. I don't pay for any advertising. It's not necessary.

Sadly not a high earner as work in the public sector but I am currently doing the last part of a masters degree which will at some point allow me to apply for jobs with a better salary.

Love your story, very inspirational.

Frankly, I have to say that money is not everything and near is success in the work field. What really counts is how happy you are,

By the way, I am an older richer female who did well on the stockmarket. Risk taking is the key to success in making money,

Agreed Orange, it's not everything but it's important because we need it.

Yes, I would rather be rich than be poor. It makes life a lot easier and gives a person more confidence.

I’m not quite sure how I ended up being a high earner. Mediocre student, mediocre degree from good uni, flailed around not knowing what I wanted out of my career, made steady but far from stellar progress in banking, chucked it all in to go wandering round the world for a few years, then talked my way into a bizarrely high paying investment banking role.

I have had to move around a lot I suppose, in and out of the UK, so I guess the key has been risk taking and always being open to new opportunities. I’m also incredibly resilient and tough, and I happen to have talents that get you on in high paying sectors. I work hard for it, but I’m keenly aware that it’s not exactly a fair system.

Woo op 😊. I do like hearing these stories. I don’t think I’m resilient or driven enough to do it myself though, I do have a secret desire to write. And I suppose I’m talented enough to make it as an artist or photographer if I wanted as I’ve had several exhibitions as a child and preteen before I fell out of love with art. But I’d never be able to make a career out of it as I can only work when I’m feeling inspired. My housemate wants me to help him design a ‘better’ dating app that isn’t centred on hookups and sex but on making friends and facilitating communication before relationships without being dull or irrelevant because apparently I’m good with ideas and marketing and he’s good at creating tech things.

I’m 32 and have been consistently earning 100k + for around 8 years, now averaging around 200k.

I picked a field with high earning potential
I picked roles where there are bonuses/commission available
I went for new roles even when I wasn’t 100% sure I was qualified
I asked for more scope, more responsibilities, wider remit
I accepted better titles in lieu of pay rises to aid my next promotion
I moved companies
I asked for payrises and negotiated hard when moving roles

What I think has helped me most is actually building a network of advocates, being likeable, being a nice person to be around, having an incredible memory (it makes me seem smarter than I am) and to be honest a whole lot of luck

I also got a mediocre degree

And I’ve had 2 babies in that time

I spent a few years after university in low wage roles building up to something that might look like a career; restaurants (promoted to supervisor), then call centre (promoted to supervisor), then admin when I started applying for everything possible and got a job in IT. I took every opportunity going, worked ridiculous hours and travelled a lot. I switched sectors to get broad experience send then set up as an independent consultant, which happens to be very well paid. I've always been a saver, focused on paying off the mortgage rather than expensive purchases. Due to that and being well paid, I've been able to take quite a lot of time off and done part-time work, so I don't earn anywhere near what I could but we can enjoy our life.

OP you sound amazing. Can you say what your part time course was in? And how did you know there was a market for your services?

@FrontRowSeat sorry I need to be vague. It was motivated by something I'd been through myself and having lived it, it gives me a unique voice and contribution.

Something like teaching people how to start a business selling digital courses because I did it. It's not that but you get the drift

I didn't want or need to be a guru in my field and there are a lot of people doing the same thing as me. I just needed to bring my voice and perspective to the market. There'll always be people who go to you because they like how you deliver your message. Even if there are others that do the exact same thing as you.

Sorry I can't be more specific, I don't want to be identified.

I've achieved a high salary by dint of working full time for years and years and years. Eventually they just pay you more.

I get bored easily so have always changed jobs every 2-5 years. 6 years with the same company is my maximum. The key is to find out what they pay the men and insist on the same package.

I use my high salary to have a nice life outside of work.

Thanks for answering my Q, OP. I still don't get it though! Even if you're offering freebies to get people into your brand, people have to know about those freebies in the first place, right? So how did you do that first bit if making sure people know you exist? Even if it's just through free social media or Google how do you make sure you're seen? If it is something business/marketing-y you're doing there must be quite a crowded market... Or is what you're doing so niche you're the only person on Google?

Sorry that is the most question mark-y paragraph ever!

No that’s understandable OP thank you for sharing.

Threads like this always make me feel a mixture of inspiration to get my arse in gear and do something, and feeling ashamed that I’ve achieved bugger all despite having a Masters in Criminology.

How do you manage 121 work with 175 people?!

Wow op I love inspirational threads.like this !! Im currently setting up a luxury bathroom showroom and am hoping i can make a success of it !! Well done you x

Sorry, X posted so didn't see the but about there being other people doing the same thing. I'm even more curious now about that first step of getting anyone to notice you. I mean i could design some courses today (I know it takes longer than a day but you get my drift) and advertise them on a website somewhere but no-one would know about them.

I think this is really interesting. I scored top marks in everything at school and have 2 excellent degrees BUT am just about scraping £24k a year. My career was banjaxed having 3 DCs in my twenties but it's not just that- there must be something different about our thinking, OP.

As a younger person, I had disdain for people like you (ashamed of this now!) because I thought 'they are just chasing money, it won't make them happy' but being in my mid-forties now, I think there was/is something unhelpful in my mindset. I would love to earn more, using my talents better, but I don't know how - it just doesn't feel possible. I think I swallowed the 'be good and good things will come to you' mantra.

I am interested to know what you think are the qualities that have enabled you to get where you are? Are these learnt, do you think?