How We Almost Went Broke Running Our Business (And How We Fixed It)

The Hard Truth About Business Money

Let’s be real.
We almost lost everything.

I’m talking bills stacked, clients late, events draining us, and stress so high I was getting hives—literally.

On the outside, it looked like we were killing it:
We had a whole brand.
Social media was poppin’.
People assumed we were making money just because we looked polished.

But behind the scenes?
We were barely holding it together.

The Moment It Hit Me

I remember one month we had just wrapped an event.
People were congratulating us online, saying, “Y’all are doing big things!”

But I was staring at our bank account trying to figure out how to pay everybody—staff, vendors, venue.

We had made money... but not enough.
And the money we did make?
Gone before it even hit the account.

That’s when I realized:
We don’t have a brand problem—we have a money problem.

The Hard Truth Most Entrepreneurs Don’t Want to Hear

You can have a successful brand and still be broke.
You can be talented, booked, and exhausted—and still not have a sustainable business.
You can be out here serving everybody and still be underpaid and overwhelmed.

Why? Because passion doesn’t replace a plan.
And visibility doesn’t equal profit.

So What Happened? How Did We Almost Go Broke?

Here’s what wasn’t working:

• We were saying yes to everything, with no clear pricing strategy

• We didn’t know our break-even point for events

• We weren’t tracking our cash flow or vendor payout timelines

• We were creating “vibes” but not protecting profit

• We were scared to charge what we were really worth

In short—we were running on talent, but not on numbers.
And that’s how most small business owners get caught up.

How We Turned It Around

Here’s what saved us (and what might save you too):

✅ We Sat Down and Got Real with the Numbers

We wrote down every single expense, income stream, and bill.
No more guessing. No more “I think we’re okay.”
We created a monthly revenue goal and event break-even calculator.

✅ We Built a Real Budget

No, not just “spend less.”
We created a spending plan that covered marketing, labor, supplies—and us.
And we stuck to it.

✅ We Prioritized Profit Over Popularity

Not everything that looks good on Instagram is good for the bottom line.
We stopped chasing clout events. We stopped doing stuff “for exposure.”
If it didn’t bring in sales, save us time, or lead to repeat customers—we stopped doing it.

✅ We Raised Our Prices (Even When It Was Scary)

We stopped charging what felt “comfortable” and started charging based on value, impact, and real cost.
The right people stayed. The right people came. And we finally had room to breathe.

✅ We Built Systems for the Money

We started using tools to track income, automate invoices, and prep for taxes in real-time—not at the last minute.  We stopped treating our business like a side hustle and started treating it like a business.

Every Entrepreneur Faces Money Struggles

You’re not crazy.
You’re not failing.
And you’re not alone.

But if you don’t face the numbers, they’ll keep controlling you.

We’ve been broke and booked at the same time.
We’ve made money and still couldn’t pay ourselves.
We’ve learned the hard way.

But now?
We make decisions based on data—not desperation.
And that changed everything.

You Can’t Grow What You’re Afraid to Look At

So if you’re in the thick of it right now—stressed about money, scared to check your account, unsure what to do next…

Start here:

1. Look at the numbers

2. Track what’s coming in and what’s going out

3. Know your monthly break-even

4. Stop undercharging

5. Create a money routine you can stick to every month
    

Because the truth is:

You don’t need another course.
You need clarity.
You need boundaries.
And you need a business that actually pays you.

Let this be your turning point.

You’ve got this.