Transform Your Business Value Through Decisive Leadership
Have you ever found yourself stuck in analysis paralysis? One of the most powerful insights I've gained from my recent conversation with Michelle Golden River is something we often overlook: indecision is itself a decision—and rarely the best one.
Michelle, a CPA firm Growth and Profitability Strategist who has transformed how accounting firms approach pricing and client relationships, shared a journey filled with decisive moments that shaped her remarkable career. Her story offers valuable lessons for all of us navigating professional and personal crossroads.
The Power of Making Decisions
When Michelle was pregnant at seventeen, she found inspiration in two song lyrics that still guide her today. One from Rush particularly stands out: "If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice" highlights how indecision keeps us trapped in patterns that no longer serve us.
"Being indecisive is unhelpful in every way," Michelle emphasized. "It sets a course of sameness." When we avoid making conscious choices, we're actually choosing to remain exactly where we are—often in situations that aren't aligned with our true worth or potential.
What I admired most about Michelle's story was her natural tendency toward decisiveness, even from childhood. At just four years old, she ventured out on her own, walking several blocks from home in her footie pajamas. This same spirit later led her to approach a supervisor directly after HR rejected her job application. "I don't have any skills, but I would love to learn," she told him—and he gave her the chance that launched her accounting career.
These weren't reckless decisions but expressions of her drive to create opportunities rather than wait for them to appear. How often do we hold ourselves back from this kind of direct approach out of fear or uncertainty?
Recognizing Your Worth
One of the most transformative elements of Michelle's approach to business is her focus on worth-based pricing rather than time-based billing. This principle applies far beyond accounting firms:
We sell transformation, not time.
When I work with clients or speak at events, the value isn't in the hours I spend with them—it's in how they change afterward. This shift in perspective completely changes how we communicate our values and set appropriate boundaries.
Michelle shared a critical insight that resonates with so many professionals I coach: "If you don't respect your worth, the client's not going to respect your worth."
The challenge is that we can't simply tell ourselves we're worth more. Confidence comes from experiencing it—from taking a stand for our value, communicating it clearly, and seeing the positive response.
I've seen this with clients who fear raising their rates or setting boundaries. They worry clients will leave, only to discover that clear communication about value actually strengthens relationships and attracts the right clients who appreciate their worth.
Breaking Limiting Beliefs Through Clear Communication
So many of us undervalue our services because we're afraid of difficult conversations. We avoid clearly defining scope, setting boundaries, or addressing scope creep when it happens. Instead, we absorb the costs—both financial and emotional—of this avoidance.
Michelle calls this "billing and ducking"—sending an invoice and hoping clients will pay without question. This practice trains clients to expect more than they're paying for and trains us to feel resentful about the relationship.
The solution? Clear, upfront communication about:
What's included in your service
What's not included
What happens when scope changes
The value (not just the cost) of additional services
This clarity is not only good business but also a form of self-respect. It acknowledges that your time, expertise, and the transformation you provide have real value.
Michelle shared that accountants, on average, write off 20% of their work—essentially giving away one day a week. While this stems from their service-oriented hearts, it's ultimately unsustainable and creates patterns that devalue their expertise. I see similar patterns across industries, from healthcare to creative fields, where professionals struggle to quantify their true impact.
Taking Action Through "Baby Steps"
Transforming how you approach your worth doesn't require dramatic overnight changes. "The decision can be the tiniest little baby steps. It can just be like, 'I'm going to have something different for lunch today than I usually have.'"
These small decisions build the decision-making muscle that eventually leads to bigger choices—raising your rates, ending relationships that don't serve you, or pursuing opportunities that align with your true worth.
I've found in my own journey that decision-making is like any other skill—it improves with practice. Each time you make a conscious choice rather than defaulting to the status quo, you strengthen your ability to make aligned decisions in the future.
Practical Ways to Lead Through Decisiveness
Based on my conversation with Michelle and my work with clients, here are some steps to embrace decisive leadership:
Examine your beliefs about worth. Do you define value by the time spent or by the transformation created? Try writing down the tangible and intangible benefits clients receive from working with you.
Practice clear communication. Define what is and isn't included in your offerings before misunderstandings arise. Create documentation that clearly outlines boundaries and expectations.
Respond rather than react. When faced with scope creep or boundary crossing, pause before automatically absorbing the cost. Ask yourself: "If I were fully honoring my worth, how would I handle this?"
Make small decisions daily. Build your decision-making confidence through regular practice. Start with low-stakes choices and work your way up to more significant ones.
Challenge "the way it's always been done." Question industry norms that devalue your true contribution. Just because something has been standard practice doesn't mean it's the only way forward.
Finding Support for Your Journey
People who believe in your worth—even before you fully do—can make all the difference. Michelle's story highlights how mentors and supporters at key moments helped her recognize possibilities she might otherwise have missed.
I believe the combination of community support and personal conviction creates the foundation for sustainable success. When you surround yourself with those who see your worth clearly, making decisions that honor that worth becomes easier.
This is why creating intentional connections is such an essential element of the B³ Method®. We need mirrors who reflect our true capabilities, especially when we struggle to see them ourselves.
The Result: Work-Life Harmony Through Aligned Decisions
When you make decisions aligned with your true worth, something remarkable happens. The constant friction of undervaluing yourself diminishes. Client relationships improve because expectations are clear. And most importantly, you create space for Work-Life Harmony® because you're building a business model based on value rather than endless hours.
Transformation happens when personal worth and professional practice are integrated. As Michelle shows, being decisive about one's value opens doors to possibilities one might never have imagined otherwise.
What decision have you been postponing that, if made today, might create a ripple effect of positive change in your work and life?
Ready to transform how you approach decision-making? Download our free workbook at BusinessBalanceBliss.com to start your journey toward more aligned choices and greater work-life harmony.