Stop Undervaluing Your Work: How to Set Aligned Prices That Reflect Your True Worth

You’re booked out. Exhausted.

And somehow… still underpaid.

Jasmine knows the feeling.

She started her natural skincare line with passion and purpose. What began as weekend pop-ups and Etsy sales turned into a steady stream of orders.

But as demand grew, so did her overwhelm. She was hand-packing every order. Answering DMs at midnight. Slipping in free samples to “sweeten the deal.”

Every time she thought about raising her prices, that familiar fear crept in—What if people stop buying? What if they think I’m too expensive?

So she kept absorbing the shipping costs. Kept throwing in bonuses. Kept telling herself she’d adjust her pricing later—once she was more established.

Now her sales are climbing…But her stress is too.

And she’s realizing the issue isn’t the product. It’s the pattern.

Because pricing isn’t just strategy. It’s safety. It’s nervous system regulation. It’s self-trust in numeric form.

This article won’t give you a one-size-fits-all formula. It will give you a grounded, liberating way to price that actually works.

Let’s begin.

1. Undercharging is Leaking, Not Leading

So many entrepreneurs are told to “start low, earn trust, and raise your rates later.” It sounds logical. Humble, even. Like paying your dues.

But let’s be real about what it actually costs.

Working long hours, barely covering expenses. Attracting clients who expect the world for pennies. Feeling undervalued—while constantly overdelivering.

This isn’t a sustainable strategy. It’s a slow drain. And the emotional weight of it? It adds up fast:

Burnout. Resentment. Doubt.

Not because the work isn’t good—but because the container isn’t solid.

Here’s the truth most people avoid: Undercharging isn’t generosity. It’s a survival response.

It’s what happens when we’ve internalized the belief that being chosen is more important than being compensated.

That it’s safer to be liked than respected. That asking for more will somehow make us less.

But what if pricing could be an act of self-respect?

What if it was less about proving your value—and more about protecting your energy? Because when you price from self-trust instead of self-sacrifice, you don’t just make more.

You hold more.

And that changes everything.

.

2. Don’t Price Like You’re Disposable

“Triple your hourly rate.” “Charge what others in your niche charge.” “Make it affordable so people can say yes.”

This is the kind of advice entrepreneurs are bombarded with—especially women and creatives.

It’s well-meaning.It feels strategic.

But it completely ignores your energy, your emotional labor, your capacity, and your vision.

It assumes your value can be boiled down to hours and industry averages.

But what about the prep time before a client call? The emotional weight you carry during fulfillment? The two hours it takes to decompress after serving all day?

This is the hidden cost most pricing advice forgets.And when you ignore it—you pay for it.

Not just in dollars, but in depletion.

Here’s a better question: What price would feel supportive—not just financially, but energetically?

What number allows you to show up fully…and still have something left for yourself?

If that number feels “too high” for your current audience, that doesn’t automatically mean your price is the problem.

It might mean your offer needs refinement. Or that your audience isn’t aligned with your next chapter.

You’re not disposable. Your energy isn’t infinite.

So stop pricing like you don’t matter.

Because you do.

3. The Nervous System Knows the Truth

There’s a fear most entrepreneurs carry but rarely say out loud: “What if I raise my prices… and no one buys?”

It’s not just about losing sales.It’s about rejection. Visibility. The risk of being seen as “too much.”

So instead of holding our rates, we slide into panic pricing.We discount.We apologize.We shrink.

And then we wonder why we feel resentful, exhausted, or stuck. But here’s the shift: You don’t need to prove your worth. You need to price at the edge of your expansion.

Not a number that makes you spiral. Not a number that keeps you small. But one that feels like a stretch—not a snap.

Something that activates growth, not survival mode.

Because pricing isn’t just about what covers the bills this month. It’s about what builds the life, the spaciousness, the wealth you’re here to experience long-term.

So ask yourself: Does this price support the future I’m building or just the month I’m surviving?

You can trust your nervous system to tell you when something’s too much…and when it’s time to rise into more.

4. This Isn’t About a Number—It’s About Who You’re Becoming

Maybe part of you is still hesitating. Still saying, “But what if people walk away?” “What if I lose the momentum I’ve worked so hard to build?”

That fear makes sense.

Because for a long time, you’ve been taught that your value depends on how accessible, agreeable, or affordable you are.

But you’re not here to run a business that leaves you drained, bitter, and quietly wondering when it’ll finally feel like enough.

You’re here to build something sustainable. Something sovereign. Something that lets you thrive—not just survive.

And that starts with what you charge. Not from ego. Not from fear. But from clarity, capacity, and self-respect.

You’ve learned that undercharging is a leak, not a legacy.  That pricing isn’t about math— it’s about alignment.

And that your nervous system doesn’t lie. It always knows when you're ready to expand.

So the next time you sit down to set a price, ask yourself: Does this reflect the future I’m stepping into?

Because the version of you that’s no longer playing small? She’s already waiting. And she’s not negotiating her worth anymore.

She’s embodying it.

Stand in that.

Charge for that.

Build from that.

Subscribe to the Digital Orange Juice for juicy ideas and the people who fund them. You can find out about our next pitch competitions here. Also, be sure to join our new community BGV Connect!