When you earn your Wealth-Respect
Two years into my current Holistic Brand Transformation program (which went through several name iterations), I’ve taken note of an interesting pattern.
It goes like this:
“Hersh, I know I need to work on my brand. I do. But…”
Even in this relatively short time, I’ve seen more “but”s than a workaholic proctologist.
In previous newsletter editions, I’ve addressed what you might call “the reluctant face,” or “the vanishing leader,” or “the recessive fame bug” – the high achiever and thought leader who simply does not want to make noise about themselves.
In today’s edition, I want to talk about earning the confidence to charge what we’re worth. I call it what I call “Wealth-Respect.”
Often, our money stories get in the way of our core values, holding the optimization of our brand at bay. And quite frequently, lack of wealth-respect is behind the ‘but’. In fact, what follows the ‘but’ is any distraction that serves its purpose in the moment:
“I really want to fix this, but I have to finish my website first.”
So, you want to finish your website, and then determine your value and the messaging around it?
And then there are those of us who have left our ‘but’s behind altogether:
“I 100% have to refine my message and create a new offer that really reflects my value!”
Pause. Longer pause. Then,
“I tend to self-sabotage.”
Damn right you do.
By the way, success and self-sabotage are not mutually exclusive; you can easily impose a limit on how much success you permit yourself to enjoy.
There are many wonderful mindset coaches who can help with “money stories.” I’ve worked with more than one. For purposes of engaging with this article, ask yourself whether being rich is good or bad.
In Friday’s newsletter, I made a reference to “$50M yacht parties” – in the instance to which I referred, the party cost $50M, the yacht is worth $500M. Am
I saying it’s wrong to have and spend that kind of money? I used to think so. Because my money story was that wealth corrupts.
I’ve learned that wealth doesn’t corrupt. And that money can bring out the best or the worst in people. And that you can indeed be good and rich.
But Wealth-Respect is about more than being okay with money. It’s about recognizing the value you bring to the community you serve.
Some of us are exceptional at what we do—genius-level talent, off-the-charts work ethic, the whole deal. Ask us our worth, and suddenly we display all the conviction of a horde of tumbleweeds. And if we do approach a fair reflection of our value, we start thinking of freebies to include and throw up a flash sale.
Why? Because we’ve been conditioned to equate value with effort. Struggle. Sweat. So when something flows effortlessly, when we solve a problem in minutes that someone else has wrestled with for weeks, we minimize the value. “It was easy,” we think, “so how could it be valuable?”
But here’s the paradox: Ease is often the clearest sign of mastery.
What comes easily to you didn’t just appear one day like magic. It’s the result of experience, perspective, repetition, talent, and intuition layered over time. That ease? That’s the ROI of everything you’ve lived, learned, and unlearned. It’s your signature. Your edge. Your IP.
No wonder you stop seeing it as rare.
This might be why you underprice, over-apologize, or stay stuck in “support mode” instead of stepping fully into your authority. You’re looking at what you do through the wrong lens. You see it as simple—maybe even obvious—because you’ve forgotten how far you’ve come. You don’t see how profoundly hard it is for everyone else.
But just because it’s second nature to you doesn’t mean it isn’t rare. It probably means you’ve crossed the threshold from competent to expert—and now you’re mistaking fluency for lack of value.
So here’s the reframe: If it comes easily to you, that’s not a reason to downplay it. It’s a reason to double down on it. That’s your zone. That’s your leverage. That’s the thing people can’t do without you, even as you graciously share your methodologies.
As you can see from the past few paragraphs, the word “but” has its place. And the next time you want to throw your ‘but’ like a stumbling block in front of your success, try this: “But I’m worth it.”
I help C-Suite executives and Conscious Entrepreneurs reposition their personal brand to command premium fees, attract media opportunities, and become the go-to expert in their industry. Feel free to book a complimentary Personal Brand Audit at your convenience!
My new book, Selling the Truth: A ‘Semoir’ with Insights for Life and Business is out now and available for purchase!
