Scale or Fail

3All Things Cash Flow

Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.

—Henry David Thoreau, essayist and philosopher

The Day My Cash Flow Stopped

The following took place in 2009, at around the time of the Great Recession. I vividly remember because I was running my homeopathic practice at the time and had several clients desperate to alleviate their fears of the looming economic catastrophe and the detrimental impact it was about to have on their lives. I listened supportively, but made sure not to engage with their fears because I understand the power of how we can sabotage a great business – or anything for that matter – by focusing on negative thoughts.

This time, the circumstances were getting harder to ignore. It seemed as if almost everyone I talked to was focusing on his or her intensified fear of the future and sense of becoming overwhelmed. I didn’t think I was buying into their frenzy, but gradually I noticed that my phone had stopped ringing. No one was calling to make an appointment. This was odd, because I was always booked solid.

The few potential clients who did call asked my fees. After I told them they said, “Oh, I can’t afford that.” My fees had been the same for the past year, so something was clearly amiss.

The first week, I attributed it to the fact that I needed a break. After two more weeks went by, Julie, my assistant, asked, “Allison, what is going on?”

I replied, “I have no idea.”

And then, I started to worry. In fact, I began to feel a great ...