When Income Dips Trigger a Spiral: How to Stop the Fear Loop and Lead Yourself Forward
What if your low-income month isn’t proof you’re failing—but a signal your money story needs healing?
Let’s keep it all the way real:
When you’re an entrepreneur and the numbers don’t match your effort… it hits different.
It’s not just math. It’s a body response.
Tight chest. Shaky breath. Racing thoughts.
Suddenly, you're not just looking at lower income but you're reliving every scary moment tied to money, every “not enough” memory, and every story your ancestors had to carry just to survive.
Should we get into it?
The Perspective:
We have been led to believe that what we feels when things like this happen os because we are in the wrong, but…
You’re not just reacting to slow sales.
You’re responding to a system of memories (your own and the ones passed down.)
That moment your card declined. That late rent notice. That time you saw your mama stretch a dollar till it cried. - EVERYTHING!
So when a launch flops or a client ghosts, it feels like way more than a dip.
It feels like danger. Why? Because your nervous system remembers.
Entrepreneurship isn't always riskier than a 9-to-5—it just feels riskier because there's no illusion of stability to lean on.
I see financial trauma as that scratch on your CD. It may be just a little dirt, but it won’t let the whole CD play as it should..
It’s not the whole story.
And you have the power to reset the music.
Listen to my complete financial trauma rabbit hole on today’s episode below
The Practicality: The 3-Step Framework to Respond, Not Spiral
Use this every time that panic creeps in during slower income months:
1. Name the Trigger
Is it the canceled contract? The low Stripe notification? The refund request?
Write it down. Name it. Bring it out of the shadows.
2. Ask: What Does This Really Mean for Me?
It’s not just about the money.
It’s about how it makes you feel.
Unseen? Unsafe? Insecure? Unworthy?
Peel back the emotion until you hit the root belief, and challenge it.
3. Flip the Script with a Third-Person Reframe
What would Beyoncé think?
What would the most resilient version of you say in this moment?
Speak it out loud. Reframe it as if you’re mentoring someone you love.
Your brain isn’t broken—it’s just trying to protect you.
Each time you use this framework, you expand your ability to trust yourself through any financial season.
Rewiring Your Ways:
While today’s practicality is the rewiring, let’s add one more.
📝 Journaling Prompt:
“What am I making this slower income month mean about me and what else could be true instead?”
This isn’t about ignoring the money. It’s about not letting the money write your identity.
Shortcut to Build Wealth: Open Calls & Grants You Should Apply For
My favorite part of this newsletter because even in slower months, doors to funding are wide open. Here are 3 you can still apply for:
💡 Dream Makers Founder Grant – $25K for CPG Brands
Who it's for: WOC-led consumer packaged goods businesses (non-beauty)
Perks: $25K grant to scale your brand
Deadline: May 30, 2025
🌍 Cartier Women’s Initiative – Up to $100K + Global Exposure
Who it's for: Mission-driven women founders worldwide
Perks: $30K–$100K + mentorship + visibility
Deadline: June 24, 2025
🍽️ Cultivate Small Business – Food Founders Program
Who it's for: Early-stage food entrepreneurs in under-resourced communities
Perks: 12-week program + mentorship + grants
Deadline: June 2025
Last thoughts…
I was reading an interview with Steven Bartlett, the host of Diary of a CEO, where he admitted to walking away from a deal estimated to be worth $1.26 million.
That number stopped me. But what really hit me was why he walked.
Because the deal didn’t align with his long-term vision.
Let that sink in.
He chose alignment over applause, purpose over payout. And honestly, it reminded me that real wealth isn’t just about how much we make but how deeply we trust our own path.
Would you walk away from a $1.26M deal to stay aligned with your values?
Have you ever had to?
👉🏾 Hit reply and Let’s talk about what real power looks like when money is on the table.
✨ The Financial Freedom Builder Assessment
To uncover the hidden gaps holding your income back—even when you’re doing everything “right.”
👉🏾 Take the free assessment here
Let’s build wealth from a place of wholeness, not worry.
Sis, want to help me reach more people? 👇🏾
Until next time,
Alejandra Rojas
Founder, Brown Way To Money