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.

NC for this- but I wanted to provide some perspective from the charity/public sector end. I just hit the 70k when you include pension and benefits and work in central government. I am late 30s. Before that, in a quango, and before that in the voluntary sector. Am never going to be a super-high earner (although I have had periods of contracting where I have earned a lot more than now) but it is perfectly possible to earn a good salary without going very corporate. A head of marketing or fundraising at a big national charity will earn that easily.

How did I do it? I turned out to have a very strong natural ability at one type of technical task that is in demand and just really went for it. I made a few strategic moves where my salary jumped 10/15k once I stopped learning and developing. I travelled a lot and without complaint. I'm easy to work with. I also got another couple of qualifications along the way (a MSc and another post grad) which helped.

I'm academically bright which has helped as my roles have involved a lot of academic skills- writing, research, synthesizing and being very quick about it.

I have also just expected I will be offered flexibility when I move and have been given it. I have a few very talented friends who have got a bit stuck because they assume they won't get the work pattern elsewhere - this is not true, especially if you have a shortage skillset.

If I wanted to up my salary again I would either contract full time in the UK (which is not so attractive because it's the least enjoyable part of what I do and not so flexible because it's deadline driven) or go overseas and work on a long term role on a day rate with housing etc attached. That's still an option in a couple of years time but DH doesn't want to do it just yet.

So good- but not mega money for London once childcare etc- I earn 2x DH. But plenty we don't have to worry with a modest lifestyle, not having a massive mortgage etc. I'm not really cut out for the corporate sector as I'm not motivated by shareholder profit- but have done well anyway.

@mrex, not all senior exec directors are male , it was a she.

So it seems that certain areas I touched on were already in the works internally but had not been broadcasted to the organization when I met with her, so from that perspective I can appreciate why she wasn't interested in some parts!

But one area I raised which was specific to this org was not appreciated and fundamental in making positive progress. Quite honestly she was very dismissive and green to the significance of what I was raising. Now I was a bag of nerves so I feel like if I had been more at ease I'd have stated my case better. But you're right - i'm gonna start pushing my ideas more and see what sticks!
What I describe is not formally a 'thing' in the market yet, which is where I see such an opportunity!!
If you need help with your ops - let me know

Thanks again for taking an interest!

@tolleshunt! "Gumption" - great word!

No sorry not health/diet. I'm really struggling to give an hint that won't out me. Hope this is clearer.

It's more to do with self development for example a module I have is dealing with anxiety especially in situations where you are required to be confident such as job interviews, public speaking etc.

@Tolleshunt I had my web designer put an SEO thingy (not technical ) on my website so when I develop content it has big red flashy things until I put in enough keywords, stop using passive voice etc.

I haven't yet had to hire anyone.

Thanks @stanski for kindly replying.

Thanks for replying, OP and heynannynanny. It looks like hiring someone to do it for me would be s good investment.

Bubbles I love it too! One of my favourite words, and very apt for this thread.

Well done OP, a fantastic success story!

Thanks OP, great thread.

I’ve had moments of massive insecurity recently after looking up uni acquaintances and old friends online and seemingly finding that many are on 100k+.

Came from a very working class background. Ended up at uni only because I fell under the inclusion / summer school programmes that used to exist and I loved it!
I seemed to have missed the day in school where they told you to carefully pick a degree course and career with half a mind towards progression opportunities.
My family’s approach was always so supportive, but more of ‘amazing, you got to uni!’ than able to actually advise much beyond that!
Instead I took a foundation subject that didn’t necessarily lead me to a particular career, went into a good grad role with a high st company, took VR after 6 months since I hated it (and, I’ve come to realise, they did very little to actually help me to settle in / improve).
Since then I’ve been teaching but left the sector when I had my first child. I now work in a sector that’s relatively unknown and not viewed as academic at all.

I’m working on trying to ‘get over’ my regrets about taking a less corporate / well paid route, and the feelings I have that I have wasted my working life.

I’m not an absolute dunce and was always ‘one of the geeks’ at school - but unlike some others I haven’t taken that and run with it.

I currently have time to build my current role and decide whether to keep on down that road or retrain in a better paid sector.

Lots to think about here. Reading my post back it all sounds a bit self pitying. I really don’t feel like that but wonder if career counselling is the way forward.

Thank you.

Well done OP - interesting route.

I wish I was entrepreneurial - that seems the most interesting way to earn the big bucks. I don’t have that in me but have always been academic and a grafter - early 30s and current salary is around 180 lawyering in London. Comfortable and secure (grew up very financially precarious so that is important to me) but not very inspiring / desperately fulfilling.

This is my favourite thread on here. Well done everyone, inspiring.

What an inspirational thread! Well done to all you ladies! I'm not a high earner but I have my own business, became a single mum a couple of years ago and sole provider to my 2 children.

Those people who say money isn't everything etc maybe need to be in the situation where you don't know where your next penny is coming from. I had a transition period where I went from being employed to being self employed and money was stretched beyond. I never got into any debt and was creative at making ends meet. But I never ever want to be in that situation again. Financial worries are so stressful.

This thread though has got my head spinning and thinking! I'm in awe of you all! Thank you OP!

moneymanifestor can I drop you a PM about the ‘glaring red’ SEO tool you’re using please? It sounds like just what I’ve been after?!

Interesting thread. I wasn't sure whether to post as I'm not sure how useful my experience will be - but I fit the parameters so why not!

I am a barrister of nearly 20 years' experience. I specialise in civil (i.e. not criminal) but not corporate or tax law. I went into the job because I had wanted to do it since age 14, somewhat naively in order to "make a difference", and I still find it very intellectually satisfying. I didn't do it because it was well paid - I had an idea that most barristers earned a reasonable amount of money but didn't know how much. I now earn between £100 and £150K p.a. - it varies massively as I am self-employed and it also dropped right off when I was on maternity leave and in the couple of years after each child. However, I also take Fridays off to look after my children, so I know it could be more.

I don't come from a legal background at all - I went to a comprehensive in Wales and was the first in my family to go to university. However, I had a lot of luck and advantages. My mother was a primary school teacher and really keen that all her children should do well academically. I have a really good memory which is useful for passing exams and even more useful as a barrister when you have to retain a huge amount of detail for a limited time. In 6th form I got a new English teacher who I couldn't stand and who couldn't stand me, but who introduced the school to debating and as a result I went to the World Schools Debating championship. I got into Oxford to study law and got a First, which no doubt helped in finding a way into a world where I had no connections. And I found a pupillage at a lovely, progressive chambers where I still work nearly 20 years later.

The Bar is a hard slog in the early years with evenings and weekends regularly ruined. But by starting young and building up relationships I have been able to develop my current working pattern post-children with a 4 day official working week and I can also take lots of time off during school holidays. I do still have to work at the weekend more frequently than I would like, and am lucky to have a very supportive husband (also a high earner within the parameters of this thread, although his job is more flexible on a day to day basis and never requires weekend working).

I also consider myself very lucky to have been able to earn very well doing work I enjoy, find interesting and sometimes even socially useful. I have developed part of my practice to obtain compensation for people trafficked into the country and kept in conditions of servitude and I find that immensely satisfying.

Sorry, that's an essay! Happy to answer questions if anyone is interested.

Fascinating to hear all these stories!

I’ve resigned myself to never earning much as I teach a creative subject (which I love!), and all of these stories are in areas that would bore me senseless, or I wouldn’t have a clue! And I’m useless at marketing/networking...with zero entrepreneurial skills.

Welsh - I'm sure you couldn't because of confidentiality but the work you do with trafficking sounds fascinating and worthy of an ama.

@Thatsnotmyname4291 yes sure