Cinderella Snapped...and So Should You: A Guide For The Anti-Good Girl Entrepreneur

Let me tell you about the moment I realized the fairy tale was bullshit.

I was on a call with a potential client. She was a brilliant, talented coach who'd been in business for three years and she was explaining all of her ‘whys’.

Why she couldn't raise her prices…
Why she had to offer unlimited email support…
Why she needed to give her clients "just one more session" for free…
And why she felt guilty about her launch feeling "too sales-y."

And then she said the words that broke something open in me: "I just want to be one of the good ones."

The good ones. The Cinderella of service providers.

Meaning the nice coach, the pleasant entrepreneur. She wanted to be a coach who gave and gave and gave until there was nothing left but resentment and a dwindling bank account.

Because here's what nobody tells you when you start your business: The whole damn system was designed to keep women small, accommodating, and broke.

They taught us to wait for permission, to be grateful for any scraps we can get and to never ask for too much. They told us the “prince” would come. They promised that if we were just good enough, sweet enough, helpful enough, someone would finally see our value and reward us for it.

Spoiler alert: There’s no small business prince coming. And even if he was, you don't need him. It didn’t work for good ‘ole Cinderella and it’s not going to work for you.

You need to stop playing by rules that were never designed for your success. You need to pick up your metaphorical sword and start slaying some business dragons. So let's talk about what it really looks like when Cinderella snaps - and why your business desperately needs you to do the same.

The Good Girl Tax (And What It's Really Costing You)

There are some pretty specific rules that most women entrepreneurs were taught along the way. They are steeped in patriarchy and the belief that a woman’s voice is unequal to a man’s and she should behave accordingly.

And there’s a very real price you're paying for following them.

Rule #1: "Don't Be Too Aggressive With Your Marketing"

What they really mean: Stay invisible, don't make anyone uncomfortable and wait for people to discover you organically

What it actually costs you: Empty calendars, inconsistent income and watching less-qualified people with better marketing fill their programs while you wait to be "found." Oh, and major frustration.

The reality: If you're not actively (and confidently) marketing your business, you’re missing opportunities and income. And it’s not just money! It's the clients who never got the help they needed because they couldn't find you.

Rule #2: "Good Service Providers Put Clients First, Always"

What they really mean: Your needs don't matter and your boundaries are negotiable. Your client’s convenience trumps your well-being.

What it actually costs you: Resentment fueled Sundays answering "quick questions" and increasing frustration with the work you’re supposed to love. It all leads to the kind of energy drain that affects the quality of your work - and your life.

The reality: When you have no boundaries, everyone loses. Your drained, resentful energy serves no one—least of all the clients you're bending over backward for.

Rule #3: "Don't Talk About Money—It's Tacky"

What they really mean: Pretend you're not running a business and act like wanting to be paid fairly is greedy and shallow.

What it actually costs you: Chronic undercharging, avoiding potentially lucrative sales conversations and sending an apology along with an invoice. This is a business that technically exists but can't actually sustain you.

The truth: We all know you can’t pour from an empty cup - and you can’t pay your bills with good intentions. Your work has real, tangible, bill-paying value. Treat it that way..

Rule #4: "Be Grateful for Any Clients You Get"

What they really mean: Take what you can get, accept the red flags as par for the course business things and tolerate problem clients. And you should never fire those clients no matter how they treat you or violate your boundaries because it’s better than having no clients at all.

What it actually costs you: Energy vampires who drain your time and enthusiasm make your business feel more like a burden than a joy.

The wake-up call: When you accept everyone, you’re going to have to sift through the piles of “wrong” ones to find your dream clients. Your "yes" to bad-fit clients is a "no" to the ones who would thrive with you.

These rules weren't designed to help you succeed. They were designed to keep you compliant, accommodating, and small.

And the most annoying part is that every single one of these "rules" is costing you actual money - real revenue that you're leaving on the table right now because you're too busy being a "good" entrepreneur.

So let me ask you this: What has being good actually gotten you?

If the answer is anything other than "a thriving, sustainable business that lights me up," then it's time to consider that maybe, just maybe, it's time to snap.

What “Snapping” Actually Looks Like in Your Business

Here’s the thing: snapping isn't about rage. It's not about becoming mean, aggressive, or difficult, it's more a strategic rebellion—choosing yourself and your business with the same conviction you've been choosing everyone else's comfort.

Here's what it actually looks like:

Setting and Keeping Boundaries
This looks like saying "I don't work weekends" and you actually don't work weekends. It means setting communication guidelines and NOT answering an email that comes outside of those hours. And then not apologizing for it.

Charging What You're Worth
You look at your prices, realize they haven't changed in two years, and you raise them. You stop calculating what you think people can afford and start calculating what your expertise is worth.

Marketing Without Apology
You talk about your services, your business, the transformation you provide without prefacing it with "I know this is sales-y, but..." You send emails promoting your offers and the language you use comes from confidence, not cringe.

Saying No to Misaligned Opportunities
That networking group that drains you? You quit. That client who wants to pay half price? You decline. That collaboration that doesn't serve your goals? You pass. No lengthy explanations required because “No” is a complete sentence.

Showing Up Visibly
We’re done waiting for perfect headshots or a flawless website. We’re posting, sharing, talking endlessly about what we do. Imperfectly and consistently.

Making Decisions Quickly
You stop polling twelve people about every business decision and you do the work of trusting your expertise, making the necessary calls, and adjust if needed.

Automating the Ask
You set up systems that take over the daily tasks that bog you down. Things like following up with leads, sending payment reminders, and inviting people to book calls. These simple tasks come off your plate and leave you to focus on what you do best.

This is what “snapping” looks like. It’s not dramatic (unless you want it to be!) and it’s not reactive, it’s just decisive, boundaried, and unapologetic.

The question is: Which one of these are you ready to do first?

Permission Granted: Your Snap Moment Starts Now

Here's the thing about breaking the "good girl" rules: You don't actually need permission, but I'm giving it to you anyway.

The business world wasn't built for women to succeed by being nice—it was built for results. Your worth isn't determined by how accommodating you are or how much you sacrifice. And the clients who need you most? They want you to show up powerfully.

And this kind of re-focus and re-alignement is exactly why we built Automation on a Mission—to support entrepreneurs who are done playing small and ready to build businesses that respect both their clients and themselves.

Your first act of rebellion starts right now. Choose ONE "good girl" rule you're breaking this week:

• Raising your prices?

• Setting an out-of-office boundary?

• Posting about your services without apologizing?

• Saying no to a draining commitment?

• Automating follow-up so you stop chasing leads manually?

Whatever it is, do it, then do it again next week and every week after that.

Because the thing that poor Cinderella didn’t know was that he didn't need a prince. She needed a plan, the courage to execute it, and systems to support her new kingdom.

You've been waiting for permission long enough. Consider this your royal decree!

Ready to build systems that support your snapped self?

Book your free demo of Automation On A Mission and let’s talk about the first rule you’re breaking while we create systems and automation to help you do it.