🤑 the money conversation ur avoiding (fix it)

$$$ are u leaving thousands on the table like i did?

Hey gorgeous, I hate to admit it, but I didn't negotiate my salary until my late 20s. For way too long, I avoided money conversations. Asking for a raise? Terrifying. Negotiating my initial offer? Hard pass. The thousands of dollars I left on the table still haunt me 😱. The truth? Making more money isn't about luck—it's about strategy. So let's dive into 5 strategies to boost your bank account:   💰 1) Negotiate Your Salary / Ask for a Raise Women tend to undervalue themselves—I used to think hard work alone would land me a raise. Spoiler: It didn't. You have to advocate for yourself, and that starts with preparation. Track your wins. Use monday.com, Notion, or Smartsheet to log achievements—numbers speak louder than effort. Keep receipts. Fellow makes it easy to document milestones, feedback, and progress for performance reviews. Learn negotiation tactics. Traliant has workplace training modules that walk you through asking for what you deserve. Surround yourself with people who push you. Our Slack community is full of women sharing strategies and success stories. Practice makes perfect. If negotiating makes you nervous, rehearse with a friend—confidence comes from repetition. Tip: Access our free pay raise planner to help you map out your negotiation. 💡 2) Start a Side Hustle A side hustle gives you financial flexibility and more control over your future. And who knows? That little side gig could turn into your main thing—just look at The Assist! Leverage your skills. Freelancing on Upwork or Fiverr lets you monetize what you're already good at. Get paid for your opinions. Platforms like Wynter pay you for sharing feedback on marketing and messaging. Launch a paid community. Build a thriving paid community on Skool and turn engagement into revenue. Create passive income. Sell digital products on Gumroad—think templates, guides, or even online courses. Leverage your industry knowledge. Guest blog, host webinars, or write a niche newsletter to build authority and get paid. Side hustle tools: Freshbooks - Easy invoicing and accounting to keep your finances in check. Square - Sell anywhere, from farmers' markets to Instagram DMs. Web.com - A website in minutes, because 'Link in bio' only gets you so far. Tap into your network. Our Slack community is full of people finding side gigs, sharing resources, and helping each other grow. Tip: Choose a side hustle that aligns with your long-term goals so it builds your career and your bank account. 📈 3) Invest Your Money Letting your money sit in a savings account isn't enough—investing is how you build real wealth. I'm no Wallstreet bro, but even I have an Acorns & Wealthfront account, and have consolidated my 401Ks from previous companies (you can use Capitalize to do that for you). Start small. Apps like Acorns and Robinhood make it easy to dip your toes into investing. Automate it. Platforms like Betterment and Wealthfront handle investing for you with robo-advisors. Don't leave free money on the table. Use Capitalize to roll over old 401(k)s and maximize retirement savings. Educate yourself. Learn about index funds, ETFs, and long-term investing strategies from trusted finance resources. Tip: Set up automatic contributions to your investment accounts—even small amounts add up over time. 🔎 4) Maximize Benefits & Hidden Income Sources You might be leaving free money on the table without realizing it. Small changes add up fast. Use your company benefits. Check if you're maximizing reimbursements, wellness stipends, or professional development budgets. Get cash back on everyday purchases. Apps like Honey help you save on things you're already buying. Turn extra space into cash. Rent your driveway on Neighbor, list a spare room on Airbnb, or use Turo to rent out your car. Tip: Go through your benefits package—you might be shocked at what's covered. 5) Optimize Your Current Income You don't always need more income streams—you might just need to make your existing money work smarter. Max out employer perks. Are you using all available reimbursements, bonuses, and learning stipends? Negotiate better rates. If you work with clients or freelance, reassess pricing regularly to ensure you're charging what you're worth. Rework your budget. Use YNAB or Rocket Money to track spending and uncover easy areas to save. Earn more from what you already do. If you're salaried, focus on performance metrics that lead to bonuses, raises, or promotions. Tip: Before chasing new income streams, make sure you're getting the most out of what you already earn. ✅ Coming Up Next Tomorrow wraps up our first week, and what better way to end it than with one of my favorite topics—networking (aka making friends). I'll be sharing how to build a network that actually works for you, so you're always one connection away from your next big opportunity. Can't wait, —Joanna P.S. Your network just got stronger. Get career advice, real talk, and insider resources. Join our private Slack community here → You were sent this message because you opted-in and subscribed to The Assist. If you believe this has been sent to you in error, you can safely ignore it, or you can unsubscribe here.