I’m obsessed with the butterfly effect. The idea that a butterfly can flap its wings and every incremental, infinitesimal change that happens as a result can lead to a hurricane on the other side of the globe.
It’s the basis of my novel series, Lepidoptera, a series about time travel technology designed to change one tiny thing in someone’s past. (For a price, of course).
It’s the root of the short story I read in middle school that’s been stuck in my head for decades, A Sound of Thunder by Ray Bradbury.
And it’s why I can’t completely hate on my bullshit experience in an MLM that made me monetize my own eating disorder.
Because… when I was in that MLM I read “You Are A Badass” by Jen Sincero.
And after I read “You Are A Badass” by Jen Sincero, I bought one of her coaching offers.
And in Jen Sincero’s coaching offer, I met a woman named Melanie who became my first coach.
And working with Melanie, I realized I also wanted to be a coach.
And when I also wanted to be a coach, I was fucking terrified.
And when I was fucking terrified, I met Serena (also a friend of Melanie’s, and ALSO ALSO in that Jen Sincero group!) and Serena taught me how to charge for my valuable consultations so people weren’t ripping me off.
And when I first charged for a consult, I sold a website package to a client for $350 (plus a consult fee of $150, so I made $500).
And then I got my first coaching client!
And after I got my first coaching client, I got TWO MORE!
Three coaching clients!
As I grew my coaching business, I saw an ad for a free webinar about creating a holistic, non-hustle business. And I met Sarah.
When I attended Sarah’s webinar, I immediately bought her thing. (The Holistic Business Academy. It’s AMAZING).
As I gained confidence based on what Sarah was teaching (and what Serena was teaching, and what Melanie was teaching), Sarah offered a new thing!
I bought the new thing. It was a Launch Incubator.
And when I was in the Launch Incubator I launched Passion Pacers, my monthly membership for creatives.
And honestly that’s pretty rad.
But I started really missing my own writing.
When I started missing writing, I decided to work on my novels.
When I started to work on my novels, I realized I fucking LOVE writing. It’s PART OF ME AND MY JOY. And I realized… I can help people write books.
And now I have embraced being a writing coach.
But being a coach doesn’t always make a lot of money right away! There’s marketing and business expenses and lots of shit to learn. (Especially deep within myself, the SPOOKIEST thing you have to learn).
Remember Serena? She had a mastermind for $5,000. And then it was $10,000. And now it’s $20,000. I am not a person who is prioritizing a $20K purchase at this time in my life.
BUT THEN. Serena offered a thing at $3,000. And I committed to buying the thing.
The same day, my CC limit increased by $3,000. Universe said, “Okay, show me you’re serious.”
So I bought the thing.
And did I mention Simone? I bought Simone’s thing in March because she donated EVERY DOLLAR in March to Ukraine. And Simone says sometimes you need to get a fucking job when coaching isn’t sustaining the bills.
So I freaked out, and I thought I might need to get a job again. Full body panic. Sobbing for two days. Applying to jobs and being miserable about it.
My new friend Wendy (who I met in Serena’s thing) called me and told me it was okay. She reminded me that… making money doesn’t HAVE to come from a job. And it also doesn’t have to come from coaching.
And I remembered, DUH, I am a freelance writer with 10 years experience and a 5 year marketing career behind me.
And then I sold a $1100 marketing package.
The next month, I sold a $2000 marketing package.
TODAY, I sold a $8,000 writing package.
And yeah. Maybe all this would have happened if a different butterfly had flapped its wings. But it was a shitty MLM and I’m a little bit grateful.
Sometimes the suckiest things can bring you the greatest connections, growth, and opportunities.
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Caitlin Liz Fisher 