Thought Leaders Business School is designed to get experts from white belt (earning $120k a year) to black belt (earning $720k a year). We also talk about lifestyle and legacy as part of a successful practice, but the conversation starts with money.

That’s nice Pete, but what if I’m not motivated by money?

Great question. It’s one I get asked a bit. Here are three responses:

No-one is really motivated by money. We’re actually motivated by what money represents, and that’s different for different people. It could be status, freedom, safety, contribution or something else. If you are in business, and money is involved, it’s useful to find some access into this.
We’re all dysfunctional around money, to a greater or lesser extent. And our culture is definitely nuts when it comes to money, consumption et cetera. It’s useful to explore your own dysfunction, and how you can understand and overcome that.
I think we have a false dichotomy between making money and making a difference. I know that for me in my first decade in business at a subconscious level I believed it was one or the other: for that ten years I chose making a difference. Then I realized that if my programs had integrity – that they offered a more significant level of value than their price tag – then I could do both. And more importantly I could focus on either … if I focused on making more money I’d also be making a bigger contribution. Likewise, if I focused on helping more people through my practice I’d make more money.

It’s all about the money … and it’s not at all about the money.