How do I handle debt or financial stress while starting my business?
Debt isn’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. It’s an energetic weight. It carries the pull of escape—the urge to get out, to be somewhere else, to have something more.
When you’re in debt, your mind wants an exit. And more often than not, that "exit" is more debt. A loan, a credit card, a quick fix. The cycle repeats.
I realized that the fantasy of escape is what created the debt in the first place. I wanted to be outside of my experience, so I used money I didn’t have to live in a different reality. But that reality was borrowed. And soon enough, the weight of paying for my past choices kept me trapped in the very place I was trying to escape from.
The way out? Stop trying to escape.
Once I let go of shame and guilt around debt—once I stopped seeing it as a crushing force and started seeing it as something neutral, something I could work with—it lost its grip on me. I didn’t need to fantasize about escape. I could just be here, fully present, fully at peace, fully capable of dealing with it.
And from that place—grounded, clear, and intentional—I could actually build a path forward.
So if you’re dealing with debt while trying to grow your business, here’s how to navigate it without falling deeper into the escape cycle.
1. See Debt For What It Is (And What It Isn’t)
Debt isn’t a moral failing. It’s not a reflection of your worth or intelligence. It’s a decision from your past that your present self now has to account for. That’s it.
Instead of feeling weighed down by it, treat it as a business problem to solve.
What are the numbers? (No more guessing—get them all on paper.)
What is the real cost? (Not just the money, but the mental load it creates.)
What’s my real reason for wanting to escape? (Be brutally honest.)
Facing the numbers and the emotions they bring up takes away their power. Once debt is no longer an emotional black hole, you can deal with it strategically, not reactively.
2. Stop Creating More Escape Routes
The knee-jerk reaction to financial stress is often: I just need a little more money right now.
This leads to:
More credit card debt
A loan with bad terms
Signing up for another program, hoping it’s "the answer"
Every one of these things might feel like relief in the short term. But if the pattern of escape isn’t broken, you’ll just end up in the same place again, but with more weight on your back.
Instead of chasing the next financial "fix," sit in the discomfort. Get clear on where you actually stand. Make peace with your situation so you can change it from a place of power, not panic.
3. Build a Financial Strategy That Supports Growth
Once you’ve stopped the cycle of escape, you can make real financial moves.
Prioritize high-interest debt first. That’s what’s costing you the most.
Negotiate terms. Call lenders, ask for lower rates, set up better payment plans.
Cut what’s draining you. Not just unnecessary expenses, but also any commitments that keep you in survival mode instead of growth mode.
But here’s the key: Your goal isn’t just to “get out of debt.” It’s to build something sustainable while doing it.
Which means:
4. Fund Your Business Without Burdening Yourself
Instead of throwing money at things hoping they’ll make you successful, ask:
What is the absolute minimum I need to get started? (Keep costs lean.)
What can I trade instead of buy? (Barter skills, use free tools, leverage existing resources.)
What can I monetize immediately? (Even a small, fast win builds momentum.)
Debt happens fast. Real success takes time. Make sure every financial decision moves you toward long-term growth, not just temporary relief.
5. Shift From Financial Survival to Financial Mastery
The real shift out of debt isn’t just making more money. It’s shifting from reacting to controlling.
Capture Reality. Know exactly where your money is going, how much you owe, and what your financial patterns are.
Develop Smarter Habits. Stop making decisions based on stress and start making them based on strategy.
Expose Yourself to Growth. Get around people who make money work for them instead of the other way around. Learn what they do differently.
Debt wants you to shrink. It wants you to avoid, ignore, and hope for an escape. The flip? Face it fully, take control, and create the kind of business that makes money on your terms.
6. Redefine Success (So You Stop Playing the Wrong Game)
Most people think success means making enough money to never worry about debt again.
But if you’re still thinking about money in terms of escape, even a high income won’t solve the problem.
Success isn’t just making money. It’s:
Being at peace with where you are, so you make better decisions.
No longer being in survival mode, so you can think long-term.
Building something sustainable, so debt becomes irrelevant.
The more grounded you are, the less debt controls you. When you stop needing to escape, you become someone people escape through. That’s the flip.
Final Thoughts: The Debt Cycle Ends With You
Debt is a cycle of wanting to be somewhere else.
It starts as a quick way out. It turns into a trap. It feeds shame, guilt, and avoidance, which only reinforce the same pattern.
The only way out is to break the mental loop first.
When you stop seeing debt as a heavy weight and start seeing it as a neutral fact—one that you can actively solve—it loses its grip on you.
And when you stop needing to escape, you finally become free.