A brand-new study—about women and investing—triggered a decades old memory
I’d just sold my first book—Prince Charming Isn’t Coming— to a publisher and flew to NY to meet my editor. As we chatted, I casually asked if she invested. An awkward silence ensued.
Clearly embarrassed, she muttered, “Oh no, I have no money for that.” I quickly changed the subject.
A recent headline caught my eye. “How Trauma Can Become A Catalyst For Personal Growth.”
The subject of trauma seems to be trending these days. Or maybe I’m noticing it more now because I’ve been cursed by a series of calamities.
Starting in 2020, I’ve watched my mother die, my daughter suffer a painful illness, my best friend’s cancer return, and my 12th surgery in less than 3 years. All during the pandemic! My struggles with anxiety, insomnia, anger, grief, and fear are classic symptoms of PTSD.
I am a survivor of abuse. But I swear, at first, it felt like love.
He wanted to take care of me, he said. He paid the bills, managed the investments, balanced my checkbook. I was the luckiest girl in the world.
Until the lies started. And the gaslighting. He refused to explain why there was no money in the bank, why creditors kept calling, why he yelled about my overspending when I wasn’t, why he quit his job to focus on investing but kept incurring huge losses.
Finally, it hit me. What I regarded as caring and concern was, in truth, a power play to gain control. It was a classic case of Financial Abuse.
At the time, I’d never heard the term. Nor did I realize it was a serious form of domestic violence, which can start off subtly, as in my case, but often escalates to emotional and physical abuse, as it also did in my case.
Today Financial Abuse is on the rise. And it doesn’t just occur in romantic relationships, but with business partnerships, roommates, even parents and adult children.
Dear Entrepreneur,
If success eludes you and profits are paltry, a new study sheds important light on your situation. Being a business owner myself, I found it quite illuminating.
All 357 female entrepreneurs surveyed knew what they needed to do to grow their business. Yet they “expressed doubt” about taking those steps due to their limiting beliefs.
“Female entrepreneurs limit their business success because they hold beliefs that lead to small actions instead of big ones,” the study reported. Or they may avoid taking any action altogether.
Bottom line: The more limiting your beliefs, the lower your earnings.
The study was brought to my attention by Catherine Bown, a member of my online community, The Wealth Connection, sales trainer and one of the six researchers of the study.
If you want to play a bigger game, you’ve got to toughen up!
