When we think about increasing our income, most of us focus on adding things in - more hours, more offers, more hustle. But what if the key to sustainable growth wasn’t working harder, but working smarter?
This week, I’m chatting with membership mentor Samantha Harris about the power of exponential income - income that grows based on impact, not hours worked. Instead of staying stuck in a cycle of trading time for money, Samantha shares how to build a business that thrives without relying on you being in the trenches 24/7.
She’s breaking down what exponential income really means (hint: it’s not the same as passive income!), plus sharing actionable strategies to shift away from an hours-for-dollars model. From smarter hiring decisions to structuring your offers for greater impact, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.
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Episode at a glance:
[1:43] Samantha started her first "real" business right out of high school and became a serial entrepreneur. She bootstrapped her way through corporate America and startups, but realized along the way that you don't always have to hustle constantly to make an incredible impact. She learned this the hard way through her business adventures, including her membership!
What are most of us guilty of when we first start our business? Creating a job for ourselves, not a business. But building a membership business can be an incredible way to create something that lives on after you, and isn't only depending on you and your time and your one on one services
[8:00] Exponential income, as Samantha defines it, isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. It's not passive income. It's income that's created in a way that's not dependent on the hours you work to earn it, but instead on the impact your work makes at a bigger scale.
There's still always going to be work to do, but I think when you're looking at an exponential lifestyle it's important to employ the type of people that are better than you at certain things. They can get it done quicker and better, and it takes it off your plate.
[16:12] What do you do if your business is set up now in a way that relies on you working a certain amount of hours? There are a number of different tactics that Samantha suggests to help you move beyond hours-for-dollars, including time audits and being more intentional with your time.
How can you serve your clients with the most intentional time that helps them move the needle? Because it's not about how many times you show up for them over the month. You could show up every day and have it just be overwhelming for them. But if you showed up once or twice or once a week, whatever that means for you, and it was super impactful, and people were actually experiencing transformation there, that's the game changer.
[20:00] You can do it all, but not in the way you think you can! Samantha shares the story of how she went from making $5,000 in monthly revenue and feeling stuck, to hiring her first assistant for $1,000... and doubling her revenue.
If you're worried about hiring, you have to make sure, that the person you hire is better than you at whatever it is they're doing. You don't want mediocre here, because mediocre is going to get you mediocre results and mediocre income. You can create a life that you love that is powered by and nurtured by the business that you love. You can do both. You just have to be smart about the way that you build it.
About Samantha Harris
Samantha is a Membership Mentor & Business strategist teaching women how to rekindle their rhythm & design a business that allows them to be present in their lives. She lives in AZ with her sweet old doxie, Beau, and her husband, Chaz. They spend their time traveling in their campervan, eating tacos, and hanging with friends. Her mission is to show women they don’t have to keep trading their time for money, and how to build something that runs on impact, not hours.
Samantha's Website | Connect with Samantha on Instagram
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