Welcome to “The Best Thing I’ve Learned About Money” audio blog series. This is where you’ll hear from fellow creative entrepreneurs and mentors all about one specific topic: MONEY

Today we are so excited to introduce you to our featured guest, Jessica of Simply Jessica Marie as she shares the best thing she’s learned about money!

Hey y’all! I’m Jessica of Simply Jessica Marie, and I am so excited to be featured in this audio blog series “the best thing I’ve learned about money.”

I’m an artist for sweethearts, and an educator for watercolor artists. I specialize in artwork that celebrates the people, pets, and places you love.

And today I’m excited to dive into the best thing I’ve learned about money in hopes that my story can encourage you to think about the best thing you’ve learned about money too.

THE BEST THING I’VE LEARNED ABOUT MONEY

is the more money I am able to bring in, the more I can serve others!

The best thing I’ve learned about money is that it serves a much bigger purpose than simply being a source of income for myself or a means to pay for food and rent.

I saw a big change in my business once I had that mindset shift: that money doesn’t just fill a need; it is also a powerful way to impact the lives of others.

The more money I am able to bring in, the more I can serve others!

I am a type 2w3 (any other Enneagram fans reading along?!), which means that I most strongly identify as a “helper” and am also an “achiever.” The combination of my drive to be successful paired with my intrinsic desire to help others makes perfect sense why a money mindset shift like this is so inspiring to me! If you haven’t taken the Enneagram test yet, I think it would be an eye opening exercise to help you learn more about what drives you, and see how it corresponds to your relationship with money.

Once I started seeing the correlation between the amount of income I generate through my artistic business and the impact I am able to have by helping others, I thought through exactly what that could look like in my personal life and in my business. Here are the top three things that continue to inspire and drive me:

1.

Money as a backup in times of crisis

2018 was my best year in business so far, and our worst year personally. Zack’s sweet dad was diagnosed with cancer last spring. We’re currently living in Dallas, Texas, and his family is back in Tennessee. As you can imagine, all of the last minute flights after learning about his diagnosis, the last-minute scheduled surgeries, and being with him during his last week here on Earth with us could have been a big strain.

I cannot fathom what it would have been like if we couldn’t have flown back to Tennessee because we couldn’t afford it. Those moments spent with his dad and his family were priceless, and I am so grateful that the income I made from my business last year was able to help us purchase some of those plane tickets.

Last year, I decided that after every big launch I have, I am going to set aside a portion of that money into a “crisis fund.” That way, if we ever need to book expensive last minute flights, have unexpected medical issues ourselves, or have a loved one who really needs our help – we are able to dip into that fund without even thinking twice about it.

2.

Reframing the way I view hiring an assistant

I’ve been in business for over five years, and am finally reaching the point where I am considering hiring someone. For the longest time, I’ve always viewed hiring an assistant as an expense I couldn’t afford – that I could simply do the work myself.

But after this mindset shift, I was able to see that hiring someone else is a way to support them.

Thinking of it in that way, rather as just an expense on my end, changed everything. Being able to nurture someone else’s creativity by letting them shine in an area that I’m lacking as an entrepreneur is such a beautiful thing. And of course, the thought of being able to help support someone else’s family is making my heart beyond happy!

3.

Giving back to others

Two years ago, I started offering online watercolor courses through my SJM Art School. One of the biggest motivations for me to have successful launches (and now, to have continuous course enrollments since enrollment is open year-round!) was to be able to give a percentage of each enrollment back to charity.

The thought of teaching others how to confidently paint and grow flourishing artistic businesses of their own sparks a fire inside me like nothing else. But being able to give to those in need on top of that? Well, that is all the drive I need to promote my courses! And my sweet students love that their educational investment is making a difference for someone else, too!

I think we often imagine giving back to others as a monetary donation. But, one of my other favorite ways to give back is by hosting an annual scholarship for one artist to enroll in the SJM Art School Semester Bundle free of charge! Because to me, it is more valuable to lift someone else up and support their dream of also running an artistic business than it is to have an extra few hundred dollars in my bank account.

My Enneagram Type

To bring things full circle back to my Enneagram type, I wanted to share a passage that I feel so deeply inspired by from Enneagram Paths.

In talking about Enneagram Type 2w3, the article shared, “They want to offer all their good qualities and advice to others. It makes them feel good to give wholeheartedly of themselves and they do so to advance the experiences and lives of those they care about.”

Isn’t that a beautiful outlook on life?

I think that when we can apply that to money, thinking about how we can give wholeheartedly to support others will completely change our mindset for the better.

Do you agree? I would love to know what motivates you!

Thank you so much for tuning in to this week’s “the best thing I’ve learned about money” series. In the comments below, I would love to hear what motivates you and if you’re up for it, share with us the best thing YOU’VE learned about money, too!