Your Business Can Only Grow as Much as You’re Willing to Grow
Here’s what I’ve learned the hard way after years of entrepreneurship: You can have all the strategy in the world, but if your internal operating system isn’t upgraded to match your income goals, you’ll stay stuck at the same level forever.
This mindset shift for business growth is what separates coaches making inconsistent income from those hitting consistent $20K months. Most coaches beating their heads against the wall, expecting a different outcome, are using the same strategy without working on themselves. Consequently, they keep getting the same results over and over.
In this episode, I’m sharing the exact mindset shift that took me from inconsistent $5K months to consistent $20K+ months. Furthermore, these same principles have carried me beyond the $20K mark into multiple six-figure years.
Fair warning: This isn’t about tactics or funnels. Instead, this is about the internal work that has to happen before any strategy will stick.
The Messy Beginning: When I Had No Clue What I Was Doing
Let me paint you a picture of early Amanda. I was winging it completely, letting emotions drive my business decisions, totally disorganized with zero systems. Additionally, I forgot to invoice people for months at a time.
The embarrassing truth, some clients hadn’t paid me for six months, and I was too embarrassed to ask for the money because I thought it was too late.
When people asked about my business, I’d downplay it: “Oh, it’s just a side hobby. It’s just this little business thing. Any money it makes is kind of gravy.”
Meanwhile, internally, I was thinking, “I freaking love this. I could make this so much bigger.”
Sound familiar? That internal conflict between playing it safe and knowing you’re meant for more?
The Reality Check That Changed Everything
Even with my haphazard approach, things started working:
- Year 1: Made $10-12K (honestly don’t know exactly because I didn’t track)
- Year 2: Doubled that to around $20K
- Year 3: Replaced my teaching salary
That’s when I had this moment: “Wait, if I could replace my teaching salary, what if I could consistently make $5-10K per month? What if Justin could work less? What if we could go on more vacations?”
I quickly realized I couldn’t keep operating the same way if I wanted to reach those bigger goals. Therefore, the mindset that got me to $40K wasn’t going to carry me to consistent $20K months.
The Investment That Changed My Life
This is when I hired my first coach. Shout out to her – she called herself a business coach, but honestly, she was decent at strategy and AMAZING at personal growth.
She introduced me to this concept called “limiting beliefs” (which I laugh at now, but I had no idea what that was at the time). Most importantly, she helped me see that the capacity of my business was based on my internal growth as a person.
The breakthrough, we identified three limiting beliefs that were holding me back. Additionally, these beliefs were creating an invisible ceiling on my income.
The 3 Limiting Beliefs That Kept Me Small
Limiting Belief #1: “I Don’t Know What I’m Doing”
I was constantly in imposter syndrome mode, thinking I needed to know everything perfectly before I could charge more or serve more people. Furthermore, I was paralyzed by the idea of someone asking me a question I couldn’t answer.
This wasn’t even factual. I was college-educated with a master’s degree and was exceptional at my craft. Rather than embracing being a beginner, my Enneagram 8 ego used this as a protective mechanism when I felt overwhelmed.
Limiting Belief #2: “It Doesn’t Really Matter If I Make Money”
This was sneaky because there was some truth in it. I didn’t HAVE to work – we’d adjusted our lifestyle, and I’d left teaching to stay home with the kids.
However, here’s what I learned: I was not meant to be a stay-at-home mom full-time. I love my kids more than anything, but being home without a separate passion wasn’t for me. (Even saying that out loud still feels freeing because I was afraid people would think I was a horrible mom.)
I was unconsciously rejecting money because I had a fear of success and worried about what people would think if I made “too much.”
One of my best friends, when I shared that I’d signed a $6K client, responded with “Somebody’s going to pay you THAT?” It crushed me and deepened my belief about what people would think.
Limiting Belief #3: “What Are People Going to Think of Me?”
- I didn’t have social media for the first year
- Year two was just pictures of food
- Finally, in year three, I started showing my face
- I was terrified people would call me out for saying something wrong
- I felt like PhDs were lurking on my page waiting to troll me
- I worried about friends snickering behind the scenes
- I stressed about family members judging this new version of myself
People’s lives are busy. They don’t have time to think about what Amanda’s doing. Instead, all that judgment was coming from myself.
The Identity Shift That Changes Everything
Here’s what I realized: Your identity becomes the reality you experience in your business.
If you’re calling it a side hustle and thinking it’s a side hustle, it will remain just a side hustle. Therefore, if you want out of that, step one is to stop calling it a “damn side hustle” or “baby business” or “baby podcast.”
Delete these phrases from your vocabulary:
- “It’s just a side hustle”
- “My little business”
- “Baby business”
- “It’s just this little thing”
Why this matters: Identity shifting isn’t new – you’ve done it before. When you left high school for college, got married, and became a parent, each time you had to let go of old ways of thinking to step into new ways of being.
Nevertheless, for some reason, I never applied this concept of mindset shift for business growth initially.
The Million-Dollar Question That Changed My Life
Instead of asking “What strategy works?” I started asking:
“Who do I need to become in order to have consistent $20K months?”
- How does this future version of Amanda think differently?
- How does she behave differently?
- How does she operate in her environment?
- Who does she surround herself with?
- What’s in her environment?
Important note: This isn’t “fake it till you make it” nonsense. Rather, it’s genuinely stepping into your future version with the best information you have.
The 3 Shifts That Took Me to $20K Months
Shift #1: Deciding to Cannonball Into My Business
I stopped calling it a baby business and started operating like the CEO I was.
This meant:
- Creating dedicated work hours (not just fitting it in nooks and crannies)
- Investing in proper systems and tools instead of frankensteining everything
- Getting a real email marketing system instead of the cheap freebie one
- Talking about my business as though I’d served 1,000 clients (even though I’d maybe served 100)
- Making decisions based on what’s best for the business, not what’s convenient
The internal shift: I had to accept that I AM worthy of calling myself a CEO. I’m risking everything and building from scratch – very few people will do that.
Shift #2: Changing My Environment
You can’t become a $20K/month business owner when you’re surrounded by mental, physical, and people junk.
This environmental mindset shift for business growth included:
Physical environment changes:
- Set up a real office in my spare room with a door I could close
- Used a yellow/green/red light system so kids knew when they could come in
- Treated it like running an actual office
- Often worked from coffee shops because I felt invigorated around other people
People environment changes:
- Invested in coaching with other entrepreneurs
- Joined masterminds with people ahead of me
- Participated in networking groups
- Had regular coffee chats (virtual and in-person)
- Had to distance myself from negativity and limiting comments
- Adjusted some friendships (which were hard but necessary)
I needed to be around entrepreneurial energy and people who raised my potential.
Shift #3: Operating “As If” (The Game Changer)
This was the biggest transformation: I had to do everything as if I were already the woman making $20K month.
I asked myself constantly:
- If I were already making $20K a month, how would I launch this workshop?
- How would I follow up with prospects?
- What would I wear?
- How would I show up in conversations?
- What boundaries would I set?
- What systems would I have?
- Who would I hire for support?
Practical examples:
- Wearing the bold lip color
- Choosing outfits that made me feel confident
- Channeling confidence in client conversations
- Setting boundaries that felt uncomfortable but were necessary for scaling
- Hiring my first VA even though it felt scary
The Compound Effect of Internal Shifts
Let me be clear: This isn’t magic. Tomorrow you won’t suddenly have $20K months just from reading this episode.
As I consistently made these internal shifts and took actions aligned with my new identity, the strategies started working better.
- I wasn’t afraid of implementing tactics
- Imposter syndrome faded
- Self-doubt decreased
- Workshops that used to get 1-2 people suddenly had 50-100 signups
- The energy of attraction became powerful
Your Action Steps Right Now
If you’re thinking “Amanda, I’m exactly where you were – making some money but wanting to hit those consistent $10K-20K months,” ask yourself:
1. Am I treating my business like a baby business?
Stop diminishing what you’re building. You’re an entrepreneur, a CEO, a founder.
2. Am I surrounding myself with people, places, and things that energize me?
Audit your environment. Does it support your growth or keep you small?
3. Am I consistently acting “as if”?
Start making decisions from your future self, not your current circumstances.
4. What limiting beliefs are creating my income ceiling?
Get honest about the stories you’re telling yourself about money, success, and what people will think.
The VIP Day Success Story
Before we go further, let me share something I’ve been doing a lot this summer: working with clients in full VIP days.
Recent example: I worked with a personal trainer who felt underpaid for her expertise. She had specific knowledge about helping people wean off GLP-1 medications to live balanced lifestyles.
In one day, we built out:
- Her entire business model
- Specific niche positioning
- Coaching delivery method
- Results measurement system
- Client journey framework
- Pricing strategy
- Marketing approach
Her response: “I cannot believe we got all of this accomplished. I feel like I have this green light to step into it fully.”
If you want this kind of clarity and momentum, we can do VIP days virtually via Zoom or in-person in Arizona. Book a call at amanda-walker.com/letschat to learn more.
The Work We Do Inside Best Damn Coach
This identity work isn’t separate from strategy – it’s integrated with everything we do. Inside the Best Damn Coach community, we can’t help but work on mindset while we work on strategy.
Why this matters: This is where we break open unconscious belief systems and rewire them to explore what’s possible for your next level.
The result: Coaches who effortlessly attract the right clients and create the income they desire because they’re operating from abundance, not scarcity.
Ready to Make Your Mindset Shift?
If you’re resonating with this episode and thinking, “Yes, Amanda, I want to know more,” hop on my calendar at amanda-walker.com/letschat
I’d love to learn about you and your business and support you in getting to those consistent $5K, $10K, $15K, or $20K months (wherever you’re headed).
The Bottom Line
Remember this: Your business only grows as much as you do and as much as you’re willing to push your own threshold.
For me, it’s not about the money anymore. Instead, I’m consistently asking myself: “Am I shifting the capacity of being the version of Amanda who’s capable of doing what I want to do?”
The more you ask that question, the more you’ll see everything fall into line.
Resources Mentioned
- Free Resource: 10 Powerful Questions Every Coach Should Know
- VIP Day Strategy Call: amanda-walker.com/letschat
- Best Damn Coach Podcast
