Customer Reviews

Secrets of Six-Figure Women: Surprising Strategies to Up Your Earnings and Change Your Life

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In the end, as Stanny says, it's not really about the money, it's about the satisfaction of being all that you can be - and age doesn't matter. When I bought the book, I already had a six-figure consulting job. But since it seemed like pure luck that I got the it, I had no idea how to replicate the job when the contract ends. Reading the book, I realized that, actually, it was not about luck. I got where I am the same way as all of the other women. I made room for "good luck" (which really means that, having left my job, colleagues, seeing that I was free, offered interesting little opportunities and I was available to take advantage of them). My intent was to have more satisfaction and money. When the real opportunity came (the "good luck"), I recognized it and grabbed it, even as my colleagues walked away. When it required that I work beyond my comfort zone, I said yes. And, having done my research, I asked for more money than I had ever imagined. I think that, had I picked up this book two years ago, I would not have had the courage to walk away from a "good" job, even if it was making me miserable, or to have asked for the kind of money I eventually got. Those two things took outside support. But anyone can seek that support if she finds herself stuck. Now that I understand the relevance of what I did, I understand what to do next: simply do it all over again, but at the next level. This consulting job is only a step to my real dream. Having mentally let go of the job, the way forward is becoming clear, and the people I need are arriving on my doorstep. Amazing. Besides the process, I found the book to be full of gems. One pearl is that emotion follows action, not the other way around. Act, then feel good. Do not wait to feel good before acting. That small thing is adding quality to my life every day. This book is a keeper, and I intend to keep rereading it until I have wrung out every bit of value.

There's a wealth of information for women in this guide to increasing your income.

Barbara Stanny begins by explaining why so many women are low earners. (She illustrates her point well with interviews.) She then goes on to give seven strategies for overcoming the fear, lethargy, self-sabotage, and false beliefs that keep women stuck in low earning situations.

Perhaps the most important lesson in this book is that a woman's ATTITUDE about her right and ability to earn more money is what will make the difference in her financial life.

Eye-opening reading, with great practical strategies. Recommended.

Reviewer: Linda Painchaud

The "secrets" in this book are typical of the incomplete thinking that is common to so many books on success, as explained in "Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-Truths, and Total Nonsense" by J Pfeffer.

In a nutshell, the author reveals these mundane "secrets" which also ignore the millions who start their own businesses and fail but who also follow these strategies:

SECRET 1: Financial Success Is Possible in Almost Any Field, and
Lack of Education Doesn't Have to Hold You Back.
SECRET 2: Working Hard Doesn't Mean Working All the Time.
SECRET 3: Focus on Fulfilling Your Values Rather Than Financial Gain.
SECRET 4: Loving What You Do Is Much More Important
Than What You Do.
SECRET 5: Feel the Fear. Have the Doubts. Go for It Anyway.
SECRET 6: Think in Terms of Trade-offs, Not Sacrifices, to Find a Workable Equilibrium.
SECRET 7: Sometimes You Just Have to Shrug It Off and Have a Good Laugh.
SECRET 8: Appreciate Abundance.

SIX-FIGURE TRAITS
1. A profit motive. Money per se may not be their driving force, but six-figure women absolutely expect to be well compensated for their work. They want to make money. They feel good about making money. They enjoy what money gives them. Profit, to these women, has a positive ring.
2. Audacity. Every woman I interviewed came to a point where she had to step outside her comfort zone and do something she wasn't completely sure she could do. It was rarely an experience she relished, nor did she always succeed. But she worked up the moxie to make the effort.
3. Resilience. They all had the grit to get back up and keep going when they didn't succeed or when they encountered setbacks.
4. Encouragement. Six-figure women have tremendously nurturing relationships with one or more people who believe in them, support them, continually root for them, and sometimes prod them along. Some, but definitely not all, had encouraging parents. Every one has remarkable friendships. And for those in a committed relationship, a supportive husband or partner is invariably cited as essential to their success.

STRATEGIES FOR EARNING MORE

1. Declare your intention to make good money.
2. Let go of where you are (leave your job if you feel stuck)
3. Decide which game to play - "play it safe" or "gamble to win"
4. Jump in, ready or not.
5. Keep on truckin'.
6. Grab opportunities.
7. No excuses allowed.
8. Ignore naysayers.
9. Never personalize.

Really, it's hard to believe that anyone can take this type of book seriously. This is akin to the New Age dictum that your thoughts are responsible for all your health problems and can also heal you - if you accept that, then logically you would also have to accept that your thoughts were responsible for the Grand Canyon. Two very different areas? Not really, one is just an extreme of the other.

[later note: Far better to read "Outliers: the story of success" by Malcolm Gladwell, who shows that success is complicated and is often the product of hidden advantages of culture, timing, demographics and luck. But that's probably not want you wanted to know, is it? Fine, then read "The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How" by Daniel Coyle - at least it's research-based; also Csikszentmihalyi's now-classic "Flow" and Ericsson's "Development of Professional Expertise", perhaps the finest book written (so far) on how to generate great individual and group performances (short version: mastery takes "grit": perseverance, effort - NOT struggle but difficult, painful all-consuming effort - and passion for long-term goals).]

After finishing this book I felt inspired. I realized I fit into several of the underearner traits that Barbara talks about it her book. Mostly I always undervalue my worth and honestly was afraid of being more and making more.

In the last few weeks I started using her strategies and I've seen a change in the way I feel about money ... and all of the sudden more opportunities seem to be presenting themselves. It's too soon to know if it will boost my earning power ... but it certainly has changed the way I look at success and money.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who not only wants to make more money ... but who wants to feel more successful in life.

If you are a woman (though I think this book would help men as well) and want to earn more, this book will provide the information you need. In fact, the author, with the knowledge she gained from writing this book, dramatically increased her own income. So many books that profess to help you earn more are just fluff. This book has depth. Of course you need to follow the advice given, but the author handholds your way there. I found much advice that I can immediately implement. One of the best career/business books I've read and I've read many!

This book is written in a very casual style and very liberally sprinkled with quotes from a fairly large selection of the hundreds of women interviewed. It is easy to read and very thought provoking. While many of the ideas and strategies seem like common sense, a few of the strategies are ideas that women (and mean) can benefit from employing no matter what their career and salary level. I enjoyed this book and gained a lot of insight.

One of the strategies that especially caught my eye, called "The Trap", was given the motto "bite off more than you can chew, but not so much you choke." This idea involved stretching yourself but not too thin and also emphasized that some women can be too hard on themselves, extremely impatient or overly meticulous. This dealt with taking some risk and possibly get in over your head and not realizing you need to cut yourself some slack and instead pushing even harder until you snap. The author used many interviewees comments and experiences as well as her known to clearly illustrate both the danger and the handling of "The Trap".

The bottom line of these strategies is that it is not what type of career you pick (all different fields from musicians and artists to CEO were represented), what company you work for (or not), what your education or your background is, but how you use your mental, emotional, physical and spiritual strengths and improve them by following the laid out strategies that will determine whether you can be a "six-figure woman" or man.

This book jumped off the shelf at me. It has already given me some ideas and encouragement to conquer some of my fears and get over my inability to see myself as others do- as a confident and competent person who deserves to be properly paid for what I do.

Opportunities for increased income float around me all the time. Stanny is teaching me that art of letting go and seizing these opportunities. I highly recommend this book for shy people like me- perhaps it will also help you get beyond that shyness and built in fear and earn what you deserve.

An incredibly inspirational book. I've read many books on how to be a successful woman intellectually, professionally, and financially, and this one is definitely a favorite. I've emailed many passages to friends and even my already business-savvy mother.

The book is phenomenal. It concentrates on your attitude and your mentality rather than saying things like "be a corporate lawyer" or "invest in these stocks." It allows guidance and inspiration while leaving room for you to figure things out for your own situation, and this is surely the most effective way to embrace change so that it lasts.

The mantra I got from this book that has already changed my life is "Feel the fear, have the doubts, go for it anyway." It was while reading this book I realized that after attending a very prestigious and exclusive university and getting my dream job in New York City that it actually isn't what I want at all. I decided that what I really want to do is freelance work in another field, and within just three weeks I have acquired four clients and two more are considering. This book is what made me stop listening to the "should's" in my head and instead listen to my gut that says "Go for it.", and within a few months I'm sure the money will follow.

I hope to be back six months from now to confirm that I have doubled my income and am much happier with my career. --wink wink-- keep an eye out for me.

I found this book to be inspirational: do what you love and the money will follow, don't be afraid to make a move, etc. This will suffice for many who are looking for motivation. However, I believe a book titled "Strategies to Up Your Earnings and Change Your Life" should include strategies on how to do it: how to negotiate, what buisness would be a good fit, evaluating your skills, etc.

This book contains lots of pump-you-up quotes and success stories, but not a lot of substance. I would recommend Rich Dad, Poor Dad as well as Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office.

This book is a genuinely fun read. I had trouble putting it down. Self-help books aren't supposed to page-turners, but this one is.

The point of the book is to outline the behaviors and thoughts that are common to all of the high-earning women who the author interviewed... But what makes it a fun read are all of the inspiring stories of high-earning women with diverse backgrounds and occupations. They are generally women who start off giving up their lives (and/or incomes) either for their loved ones, or for their charities, or for their boss, and then making various breakthroughs that made them start taking care of themselves first and foremost, while still caring for their friends and family as much as (if not more than) before, and of course making more money too. Their stories will leave you feeling optimistic about your own professional future, regardless of your field and rank. There are also stories about women who were always proud, positive-thinking, successful people, whose stories are equally as inspiring.

The "secrets" that the author outlines are so obviously essential to success, but so nebulous and elusive in our minds when we set personal goals, that it's invaluable that the author has pinpointed them, named them, described them, and turned them into strategies for success. And by showing the readers specific examples of how these behaviors were used in real people's lives, she gives the reader a concrete example to follow, to use as a starting point for the reader's own self-improvement.

(And a sidenote: This book is not just for women. The strategies the author outlines can be applied to anyone's life, male or female, and the stories are probably just as inspiring for a man as for a woman.)