By Anastasia Umnova, Personal Coach.Psychologist.

Her Telegram channel is here.

Mental obstacles... Most experts (specialists) who use social networks as a workspace endlessly invest money in education instead of applying marketing tools and earning normally. They believe that they lack sufficient experience and knowledge. They suffer from the impostor syndrome and chronic burnout as a result. Meanwhile, others, less talented and intelligent but entrepreneurial, launch 'unique authorship courses,' earn money, and create in people's minds the image of 'info hustlers.'

Allow me to introduce myself; my name is Anastasia Umnova. I am a coach and psychologist. I assist those who work online and face resistance, emotional and physical burnout, self-sabotage, and procrastination. These horsemen of apocalypsis literally cast a shadow over competent professionals and become the cause not only of debts but also of family discord.

Umnova Anastasia, personal coach, consulting psychologist. Telegram channel: @anastasiiaumnova

…

Over the course of my 4 years of practice, I’ve even got a classification of experts based on their income levels and the psychological reasons why they don’t earn as much as they could. I’ll share it, perhaps someone will recognize themselves and understand what needs to be addressed.

The husband is an aspiring expert: he tells how much he will earn after completing the courses.

…

Mental obstacles and on-line workers

Category 1. Beginners in the profession or in the online space. On one hand, there’s a burning desire to make the first online sales, but the lack of experience (case studies) leads to constant self-doubt. The belief that it’s too early to charge for knowledge often leads to agreeing to any projects, and this can result in becoming a victim of freeloaders and simply “dishonest” people. This situation leads to anxiety, self-devaluation, doubts, and regrets about the time and investments spent.

And true heroes always take a detour! Instead of going to interviews, job boards, promoting their services, communicating and screening out inadequate clients, they choose to wander through channels and accounts in search of some “magic” tools, without realising that these tools do not bring income. Falling into the networks of those who will sell “the same robe, but with mother-of-pearl buttons” is a common mistake. Delaying the unpleasant step of “selling” may reduce anxiety temporarily, but it only lasts until the end of the training, after which the cycle begins anew. And the wallet remains empty.

As for recommendations:

1. Analyse all your skills, talents, superpowers, and write down what you excel at, what you do exceptionally well, and what sets you apart. This will help you remember that you are not a “blank slate” but a person with a wealth of life experience.
   …
2. Beginners often lack case studies, but chances are you have already helped someone in your new profession without charging them. Reach out to these individuals, ask for their feedback and reviews. If you haven’t done this before, there’s a high likelihood that you can create your own case study. Share these experiences on your platforms.
   …
3. Set a realistic financial goal for yourself. If you used to earn 50,000 rubles a month in a job, avoid setting an unreachable goal like 1 million rubles. However, the chosen amount should inspire and motivate you. The path ahead may be long and challenging, but it is also intriguing.
   …

…

Category 2. Processors: SMM specialists, marketers, copywriters, and others. These individuals are essentially the same as employees, but they also possess the quality of being “multi-handed and multi-legged.” They excel in various online skills and, as a result, often find themselves in a “Savior or Savior” state. They have a passion for providing free advice and “carrying their clients and customers on their shoulders,” but this does not increase their earnings. On the contrary, people become dependent on them, demanding more: “Well, why not? You can do it, just like yesterday…”

However, as it’s widely known, patience has its limits. Consequently, every processor aspires to become an EXPERT. This initiates the same process as beginners, but with added illusions that results should be swift, as they are already well-versed.

But is it necessary to become an expert? There’s a segment of the information services market that insists it’s a MUST! Nevertheless, each person possesses their unique set of values and psychotype. Not everyone needs to pursue the path of becoming an EXPERT-entrepreneur, as it may not align with their true calling. Not everyone is suited for business planning, product creation, team building, coping with the pressures of “launches,” or embracing intense public exposure. Moreover, not everyone craves financial abundance.

What can be offered?

1. Delve deep into recognizing your uniqueness as a process specialist. Take time to bolster your self-esteem and tackle the imposter syndrome. By doing so, you can confidently adjust your service rates right away. There’s no need to rush into investing in a “new, super profession of the future.” Your wealth of experience will forge neural pathways within your consciousness, thus making the transition to a higher professional tier smoother: without encountering burnout, drama, financial debts, or self-reproach.
   …
2. If you possess the ambition and determination to become an expert, it’s essential to master the art of setting personal boundaries. Learn to say “no” when the situation warrants it, both to yourself and others. Achieving a higher income level presupposes the development of psychological resilience and the aptitude to assert yourself effectively. (For a more in-depth understanding, consider subscribing to my channel, where I elaborate on this topic.)
   …
3. Reflect on whether your desire to become an expert aligns harmoniously with your core values. Perhaps you derive genuine fulfilment from being an integral part of a team. Team-oriented objectives, social gatherings, and corporate events invigorate you. If this resonates, actively seek out communities that resonate with your aspirations. Empower yourself to LIVE YOUR LIFE fully, rather than striving to fulfil external goals that are incessantly promoted in the information-saturated environment.
   …

…

Category 3: Experts: “Sometimes too busy, sometimes too empty.”

Category 3. Experts: These professionals have the experience and knowledge but are often hesitant to raise their service fees. They doubt whether to offer one-time consultations or switch to a package, group, or course format. It’s because they possess substantial professional competencies, numerous certificates, diplomas, and they are creative and thoughtful. However, they fear “embarrassing themselves” in the eyes of teachers, mentors who might say, “Well, your writing is too simple, and you charge such fees??? Who are you?” They also fear other forms of criticism from unreasonable people, difficult clients, and, ultimately, responsibility.

Financial breakthroughs are usually made out of the motivation to “get it together.” However, burnout, regression, and “indecision” follow, along with sabotaging regular, targeted actions. This happens because they cannot see their own goals, or more accurately, they fear WANTING.

So, what is “misguided intelligence”? It could be said that this term fits because these creative, educated adults were obedient, good, quiet, and non-conflict children in the past.

From childhood, they were indoctrinated with beliefs and fears about money and social relationships, such as “we are poor but honest people,” and so on. Moreover, they are well-acquainted with feelings of guilt and shame because you can’t raise a “well-behaved child” without manipulating them with these emotions.

My recommendations:

1. Seek help from specialists and address your “childhood” issues. Only after psychological processing can you set financial goals. Before that, everything is futile. Your brain, like burnt-out wiring, will either shut down or redirect its focus to anything but your GOAL.
   …
2. Examine your beliefs about “money” and “enjoyment in life.”
   
   These beliefs also form during childhood and are lodged like splinters in the subconscious, only to start hurting when it’s time to assert yourself in society and claim what’s rightfully yours.
   …

3. It’s IMPORTANT to deal with shame, guilt, personal boundaries, and then it becomes easier to showcase your professionalism, launch a product or service, and raise your prices. Discipline, endurance, and determination arise from the state of “I know WHO I am and what I WANT in this life.”
   …

No matter which category you place yourself in, if you are 35+ years old, burnout from your activities will always occur if you lack a BIG GOAL, a strategic vision of “How I want to live in 5, 10, 20 years.”

Our brains don’t like expending energy for no reason, but if you follow the path to your Mission, it starts allocating additional resources. Call it “esoteric”? I think it doesn’t matter. It’s proven by the lives of other people, which means it exists.

I hope this article helps someone understand the reasons why so much effort yields no increase in income. I regularly cover topics related to “burnout in the profession, finding uniqueness, factors affecting income and quality of life,” and more on my Telegram channel. If it resonates with you, subscribe, and let’s communicate and grow together.

By Anastasia Umnova. Personal Coach.Psychologist.

Copied with the permission of the author. The original article is here.

TOP signs that are better not to ignore. The list had been compiled while interviewing for a marketing position at an IT company, but it will be relevant for many positions:

…

• “The first six months 20 thousand, and then 200.”
• “And the previous marketer’s eyes were burning…”
• “Already leaving? We usually work until 9…”

1. This is a vacancy from some individual entrepreneur who is on the verge of creating an innovative product. The product will undoubtedly lead both you and the company to unprecedented success. The team needs a natural-born leader with burning eyes (and eventually, burning ass). By the way, what exactly this product is unclear; most likely, it’s a financial pyramid.
   …
2. The interviews stretch over 5 or more stages. A separate point is the test assignments where you are asked to complete a week’s worth of work. A polite way out is to explain that you are interviewing with several companies/still working in your current position, so you don’t have the time to spend on such a lengthy test assignment. Generally, paying money for a large test assignment is considered good practice.
   …
3. In one form or another, phrases like the following are present: salary is limited only by your capabilities; we pay as much as you earn; there is no limit to the salary range; the previous marketer became a millionaire.

…

4. A powerful sales funnel is needed, with many incoming leads, but there’s no money for advertising. The business owner is fervently shaking the book “Marketing Without a Budget” (a great book, I recommend it).
   …
5. In the “Advantages” section, it states: no dress code, friendly team, professional team, white salary, and company-sponsored tea.
   …
6. A random assortment of various requirements, as if someone couldn’t control verbal diarrhea. I’ve seen several job postings where a lone marketer was expected to manage social media, develop a podcast platform, organize offline events, run multiple blogs, launch advertising campaigns, work with printing, participate in industry competitions, rankings – this is an incomplete list, mind you. And all of this for 80 thousand per month, please.
   …

…

7. They expect the marketer to start everything from scratch and quickly: positioning, PR strategy, advertising strategy, sales funnel, and a new toilet to replace the wooden one outside. Instead of a logical note saying, “You will build your team for this task,” there’s a phrase, “You are active, work not until 18:00, but until results are achieved.”

8. Office work 5 days a week and no other way. It’s strange in 2023. Such companies still offer corporate transportation because their office is somewhere on the outskirts of the city.

9. It’s unclear what happened to the previous marketer and whether they are even alive. Or former employees are openly criticized during the interview. Or you hear something like, “We’ve already changed three people in this position in a year, can’t find a decent one.”

…

They avoid discussing salary until the very end. The second stage of interviews is already completed, and the financial question is pushed back. In one large design studio in St. Petersburg, there’s an interesting principle: torture the person with interviews and tests, not disclosing the salary range until the very end, so that in the end, they would want to join so badly that they would even agree to a salary below expectations. These folks have apparently reread Kurpatov, rewatched Stepanova.

More often than not, these sins are committed by small, quasi-IT companies that have been on the market for a couple of years. During interviews, they still like to say, “We lived for three years on word of mouth; we didn’t need any marketing. And now, with the word of mouth fading, clients shrinking, we’re hiring a marketer to bring us leads. By the way, there’s no budget for marketing, I can handle advertising with my own money. And we’re a big family, incest is not uncommon for us.”

By the way, I run my channel about marketing, horses, relocation, and IT (yes, just like that). Subscribe; there are many posts like these there.

By Diana.
She writes about horses, relocation and work:
https://t.me/marketingandhorses
The text is published with the permission of the author.
The original is here.

…