Episode 344: Why Women Struggle to Receive Money (And How to Start)

The Skill Most Women Were Never Taught

Most women don’t actually have a problem making money. It’s the receiving part — the keeping, the letting it in — that’s the problem. If you added up how much money has actually passed through your hands over your lifetime, the number would probably surprise you. It comes in, you manage it, you pay bills, and then it’s gone, so you never see how much you’re really circulating. That’s the real reason why women struggle to receive money: most of us were never taught the skill. In this episode, I break down what receiving actually is and how you can start practicing it today.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The friendship bracelet story that shows what business looks like before the world tells us to shrink
• Why the gifts you were given were meant to become your living, not something you give away for free
• What a $40,000 handbag taught me about the difference between having money and receiving it
• Where you’re already wealthy right now, even if your bank account doesn’t show it yet
• Simple ways to notice — and stop deflecting — the wealth already coming your way

Listen to the full episode

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Why Women Struggle to Receive Money: The Friendship Bracelet Story

I was teaching a class this week, and one of the students shared a memory that captures this better than I ever could. When she was little, she made friendship bracelets and loved them. She wanted to fit in, so she brought a couple to school, and everyone wanted one. She started charging for them because she was buying supplies and giving her time and energy. Kids were so excited that they brought more money than she had change for, and they were thrilled to pay it. Then somebody whispered that she was charging too much. There were suddenly rules. What she could do instead was be generous and teach other kids how to do it for free.

That whisper is the exact moment something got taken from her. It’s worth noticing where that same whisper has shown up in your own life.

When you tap into what brings you joy, and you share it, you will make money.

That little girl didn’t need business school to know any of this. Marketing plans and profit margins weren’t part of the equation. She simply charged enough that everyone was happy to pay it — and that’s the natural order of things.

You Weren’t Given Your Gifts to Give Them Away for Free

You are here to provide what only you can provide. No one else does it quite the way you do — the way you organize, the way you cook, the way you talk, the way you teach, the way you write. That list is endless, and you’re here because we need what you have.

You were not put here with your unique gifts so that you could give them away for free and hate your day job.

That giving and receiving move together — when you provide what only you can provide, you get provided for in return.

What a $40,000 Handbag Taught Me About Receiving

I once read about a celebrity carrying a $40,000 handbag that was falling apart at the seams — thrown around and used up without a second thought. It hit me that even with all that wealth around her, nothing was being appreciated, and nothing was sinking in. Appreciating what you have is the key to actually receiving it, whether it costs four dollars or four million. We’ve all seen people who have financial wealth and nothing else, and they’re miserable. It’s not that the money is bad — it’s that they haven’t learned to receive the wealth that’s already inside of them.

In nature, there is no lack. It does not exist.

That imbalance is only in the human mind, in the ego that consistently pushes away the bounty that is trying to reach us.

You’re Probably Already Wealthier Than You Think

Put your hand on your heart right now. It’s been beating all day, every day, your whole life, without you ever having to tell it to — that’s wealth. Breathing in oxygen is wealth too, part of a cycle we share with the trees around us. Look at what’s already true for you: are you dry when it’s raining outside? Can you make yourself a cup of tea? Do you have a roof over your head? Wealth is everywhere, all the time. Receiving it is the only thing standing in the way.

How to Start Practicing the Skill of Receiving

Receiving is a skill, and it’s not one most of us were born with, so give yourself grace if it feels hard at first. Start small this week. Let someone open the door for you without waving them off. Notice when a stranger lets you go first at a stop sign. When someone gives you a compliment, take a breath and actually take it in instead of deflecting it. Small moments like these are how the skill gets built.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

Related Episodes You’ll Love

Episode 271: You are Deserving of Wealth This Year — I remind you that you’re worthy of wealth and abundance, because when women have money, we step into our power. Listen here

Episode 292: Business Success Isn’t a Race. It’s a Frequency — Why 90% of sales is energy, not strategy, and how to shift from chasing to receiving for sustainable growth. Listen here

Episode 312: Awakening, Abundance & Ancient Wisdom — Rewriting Your Money Story with Halle Eavelyn — Halle and I talk about overcoming financial programming and building wealth through mindset shifts and spiritual awareness. Listen here

My Free Gift to You — Let’s Talk About Your Business

If this episode surfaced places where you’ve been pushing money away without realizing it, let’s talk about what receiving more fully could look like in your business. As my free gift to Girlfriends, I offer a complimentary 30-minute discovery call.

Connect with Me

• Instagram: @thesarahwalton
• LinkedIn: Sarah Walton
• Free resources for you
• Join the Game On Girlfriend® community — subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube

Love This Episode?

If you know a woman who has trouble receiving compliments, help, or money, send this her way. This one’s for her.

About Sarah Walton

Sarah Walton is a wealth consciousness coach, strategic advisor, and the host of the Game On Girlfriend® podcast. Her mission is simple: to put more money in the hands of more women. She helps women entrepreneurs build profitable, sustainable businesses without burnout — working through both the mindset and the strategy sides of growth. Because when women have more financial power, they don’t just keep it — they use it to take care of their families, support their communities, and build something bigger than themselves. Through her programs — including the Abundance Academy and The Art of Receiving — along with her online courses and one-on-one coaching, Sarah works with women who are ready to build profitable businesses and use that financial power to make a real difference in the world around them.