The Year I Stopped Being Nice and Started Being Honest (and Made More Money Because of It)

Let’s talk about a quiet truth that far too many women over 40 (and youthful grandma's like me) know deep down: being "nice" hasn’t gotten us the results we thought it would; especially when it comes to "How to Make Extra Money from Home".

In business. In life. In relationships. 🍂

.. without selling our soul or becoming a highlight reel version of ourselves.

For years, I checked every box on the "good girl" list:

Be polite. Don’t rock the boat. Go with the flow. Bite your tongue. Smile, even when you’re uncomfortable. Zip your lip. Say yes, even when you’re tired. Make sure everyone else is happy; even if that means you're drowning in unhappiness. Don’t speak up too much, too loud, or too often.

And guess what? I wasn't creating conversations nor connections. I wasn’t gaining more clients. I wasn’t creating the business (or life) I dreamed of. I wasn't creating more income and impact. I was miserable, depressed, burnt out, underpaid, and more than a bit disillusioned and frustrated.

Looking in the mirror wondering who the hell am I and why am I doing this? Why does this seem to be soo damn hard??

Then one fall day, something shifted. (Autumn 🍂 for me has always been that catalyst of change) .. I realized the version of me that was going to win—really win—wasn’t going to be the watered-down, muted, nice-girl version.

She was going to be the honest version.

The version who said: "That strategy doesn’t align with me." "No, I’m not doing cold DMs." "Use the voice and mind that the good Lord gave me." "Yes, I want peace AND profit." "YES to more bless, less stress."

Here’s what happened when I chose honesty over hustle: My content got clearer. My message got bolder. My clients got better - aligned, respectful, and ready.

And yes... I made more money working from home.

Because guess what? Real attracts real. And when I dropped the "shoulds" and the scripts, I became magnetic to the women who were waiting for someone like me to show up honestly.

And .. with age comes experience .. reflection where we can look in the mirror and then truthfully answer:

• What's working?
• What's not?
• What should I stop?
• What should I start?
  
  .. and then have the strength, the voice to act upon the answers that come to heart.

Now when I talk about how to make extra money from home, I don’t sugarcoat it. I don’t hype it up, pitch it like it’s a easy as in "easy bake oven" or instant like a "scratch and win ticket". I do talk about making it as simple as possible ESPECIALLY if we are a beginner exploring the idea of making extra income from home or thinking about adding another congruent income stream to your already successful business portfolio:

• Using digital marketing that fits your lifestyle (not someone else’s formula).
• Selling done-for-you products you don’t have to create from scratch.
• Automating with empathy, so you’re not glued to your phone 24/7.
• Sharing stories instead of scripts.

Let’s get brutally honest for a second: I’ve said yes to collaborations, extra work load that drained me because I didn’t want to seem difficult. I've been in money making business models that didn't fit my lifestyle. I’ve stayed in communities that didn't reflect my values, because I didn't want to make waves. I’ve discounted my offers to avoid making someone uncomfortable—even when that discount cost me money I didn't have.

Each time I chose “nice” over honest, I paid a price.

But here’s the beautiful part: when I started being honest, I started making peace with myself and money.

"Honesty" didn’t just make me more money from home. It gave me a filter. I no longer work with clients who drain me. I don’t join programs that promise easy success but ignore the nuance of real life. I don’t sell dreams I wouldn’t buy myself.

Asking myself smarter questions now that I'm in my 50's .. "Can this bring me joy?" "Will this bring me more bless less stress?" "Does this fit my lifestyle and life?"

And I say this with love: Being honest doesn’t mean being rude. It means being rooted. Rooted in our values. Rooted in our vision. Rooted in the kind of business we actually want to run.

If you’re in a season where "being nice" has only left you tired, questioning yourself, or hiding behind Canva edits... it might be time to choose honesty instead.

Honesty connects. Honesty sells. Honesty lets both your soul, sass and sunshine SHINE .. Honesty makes you extra money from home - with peace and purpose in hand.

✨ Grab my free guide: How to Make Extra Money from Home: A Beginner’s Guide to Digital Marketing.

This isn’t another list of side hustles you’ll hate. It’s a gentle, clear walk-through of what’s working for women like us—burnt-out, rebuilding, real.

✔️ No awkward pitches ✔️ No cold messaging ✔️ No pretending to be perfect

Just stories, systems, and strategy that support your peace while building profit. Filled with purpose and passion that is creating income and impact you desire!

Cheers to honesty, income, and building a business that finally feels like you.

🌻 Cheers, and Chat soon, Roxanne

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