Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. Meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Don’t worry though. I only recommend products that I believe will help you on your journey.
Check Out Related Episodes & Resources
- Please Stop Doing Money Dates
- Why You’re Not Budgeting Even When You Know You Should
- 4 Simple Things You HAVE To Know To Run Your Books Correctly
- Why You Need To STOP Saving For A Rainy Day
- FREE Cash Flow Calculator
Ep. 232 Why Your Money Isn’t Shifting Even Though You’re
You’ve tried the mindset work.
You’ve bought the courses.
You’ve pushed harder, worked longer, stayed positive…
and still don’t feel secure with money.
This episode explains why – and it has nothing to do with discipline, willpower, or the “perfect” strategy.
It’s survival mode.
And once you understand it, everything begins to change.
I’ll share real scenarios from my own journey and the women I coach so you can finally understand what’s been holding you back (and how to shift it for good)
LISTEN OR SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE IN YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST APP:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Other Podcast Players
Money Simplified Episode 232 Resources:
- The Unstoppable Experience – https://aimeecerka.com/unstoppable
- Money Mindset Playbook – https://aimeecerka.com/mindset
- Instagram – https://instagram.com/aimeecerka
- Podcast Links – https://aimeecerka.com/podcastlinks
Grab The Cash Flow Calculator
Uncover the right work (that you’re probably already doing) in order to finally see consistent cash flow month after month
Let’s find out in just 90 seconds!
Get started today ????
Fill out your information below to get instant access
Unlocking the Truth: Are You Really “Bad” with Money or Just Stuck in Survival Mode?
Hey, friend. Before we jump in, I wanted to set the stage for what you are about to hear.
This episode is for you if you’ve been trying to fix your money by working harder, doing more mindset work, or waiting for life to slow down, but nothing is actually shifting.
What you’re going to hear today is the moment when I realized I wasn’t bad with money. I was in survival mode with money.
If you’ve ever felt the pressure, the panic, the rollercoaster, or the shame—if you’ve tried all the strategies and still feel stuck—this episode is going to feel like somebody’s removing the blindfold from your eyes. So let’s get to it.
Welcome to Money Simplified: Guiding Female Entrepreneurs to Financial Ease
This is Money Simplified, the podcast where I help female entrepreneurs go from stress and struggle to unstoppable with money. Money is more than just budgeting and PNLs, and we’re going to take you through all of it.
Here, we blend proven financial strategy with mindset work and energetic alignment so you can create unstoppable finances, build an unstoppable business, and truly enjoy your unstoppable life.
It’s time to take my wisdom and expertise to help you simplify money and go beyond the numbers. I’m your host, Aimee Cerka. Welcome. I’m so glad you’re here.
The Hidden Enemy: Understanding Survival Mode With Money
I didn’t know I was in survival mode. I was just sure I just needed to make more money. I thought I had to uplevel my mindset.
Maybe you think you just need to find the right affirmations or get more visible. I was convinced I wasn’t the feminine type who enjoyed soft experiences like candlelit baths, massages, or smooth shaved legs and fresh sheets.
That’s just not who I was—at least, that’s what I thought. It doesn’t work, right?
Who would? When you feel like you’re being chased by a tiger, it’s kind of hard, if not impossible, to relax.
So let’s turn the tiger that’s chasing you into a kitten.
Shifting Perspective: Recognizing Your Own Triggers
There was some work that I was doing personally, even this last week. And, side note: if you are working with a coach who says they’ve made it and they’re not doing any work on themselves, run—we never make it.
We’re always growing. That’s the truth.
So, side note: there was working on myself this week, my own personal development, and there was a fear that I uncovered. Navigating, going on a deeper level of processing. And it felt like this massive thing, this massive mountain towering over me.
Through the practice that I was doing, it was almost like I stood up. Suddenly, it wasn’t this massive mountain. It was a small thing. Who cares?
But when we feel dysregulated, when all these triggers show up, and we feel like we’re being chased by a tiger, everything feels massive. Survival mode makes it hard to enjoy anything.
Why Survival Mode Stops You From Flourishing Financially
Have you ever tried to do a meditation and you are freaking out, but you can’t sit still because you feel like you’re being chased? That’s what survival mode does.
Once we get you out of survival mode, the other work you’re doing works better. The results come faster, they’re multiplied. There’s ease, there’s success, you’re in bliss, and it’s all waiting for you on the other side of remembering who you are.
This isn’t something you have to achieve.
It’s a remembrance.
You already have these things.
We forget them because we’re being chased by a tiger.
Are You Actually in Survival Mode? Key Scenarios to Watch For
Let’s highlight a couple scenarios that signal you’re actually in survival mode with money.
If you keep telling yourself you’ll get organized, put a funnel in place, or work on your books when life slows down—but life never slows down—that’s a sign.
Life keeps lifing, right? So you’re still in reactive mode, avoiding your numbers, trying to outwork the stress, waiting for a magical arrival moment.
This is a form of survival mode, disguised as being “busy.”
That’s why we work on breaking the cycle inside the Unstoppable Experience. If you’re listening to this on the day it goes live, the Unstoppable Experience is open until midnight. You can join us here.
Breaking the Cycle: Finding Safety and Success “Now”
We work on creating the safety now. It’s not about waiting for a magical arrival moment.
There is success now, there’s safety now. But we have to get you out of the cycle of never being able to stop. Busy, busy, busy—that’s the tiger chasing you. Time to let the tiger become a kitten.
Another scenario: the emotional rollercoaster with your bank account balance. If you avoid looking at it, spiral, or panic when it’s low, or celebrate when there’s a good month—this is another form of survival mode.
I built the profitable money systems, Budgeting Simplified, Prosperity Simplified because they help deal with this rollercoaster. As entrepreneurs, our income fluctuates, but if you’re stuck in that cycle, mentally and emotionally riding the highs and lows, that’s not how you were designed to operate.
Mindset Programs, Shame, and the Scarcity Spiral
If you’ve bought program after program, always searching for the next solution, that’s also survival mode. It reinforces the belief that you can’t trust yourself.
It’s not about having the exact right strategy; you need the right strategy for you. When you’re stuck in the shame cycle—whether it’s about debt, spending, or so-called mistakes—all that is survival mode.
None of those things hold meaning except what we give them. If you’re attaching the meaning that there’s always a tiger chasing you, you’ll stay in survival mode.
Reclaiming Simplicity: The Power of Making Money Simple
When you reclaim your power, it all becomes simple. That’s why I make money simple. It’s my gift—explaining things so you can see clarity.
When we work together, and you return to the you not running off stress, fear, and scarcity, everything can shift. For example, during my launch for The Unstoppable Experience, I spent a full day with my kids, totally unplugged.
Trust is built in. I’m recording this after, not from fear but from a place of action and trust.
Taking action is key, but avoidance, even in the name of feminine energetics and ease, can be survival mode too. That’s a story for another day.
Money, Power, and Worth: The Core Beliefs That Hold Us Back
At the root, what we’re working on is money and power. They are so interconnected. Your sense of self, self-worth, self-love, and money all tie together.
We’re taught that money (or power) is bad, but that’s simply not true. Good people do good things with money.
You can logically tell yourself that, but if your underlying beliefs say you can’t have money because it’s not safe, you won’t be able to outwork that subconscious script.
That method just doesn’t work anymore.
Moving Forward: Reclaiming Power and Building Aligned Wealth
Maybe you are someone who would love the freshly shaved legs, the fresh sheets, or a massage on the beach. Maybe your luxury looks different.
But you won’t find what truly lights you up until you reclaim your power and get out of survival mode. We do this with money. Money and power are intertwined.
We work on profitable money systems. That’s where I started—strategy. But strategy wasn’t enough. So I added mindset and beliefs. Still, there was more.
When we brought in energetics, identity, and working on personal power, everything changed. Because you can know what to do and take action, but if your story is “I’m not worthy,” you’ll keep repeating the same cycle.
You are not broken. Your body works exactly as it should. You just need to see the tiger isn’t real.
When something comes up, you develop the tools to turn around and see: it’s just a kitten—you can move forward.
Your Invitation: Step Into the Unstoppable Experience Today
There’s a section on the Unstoppable Experience page that sums it up perfectly. If you’re honest, you didn’t start your business to feel this stressed about money.
You’ve worked hard, invested in programs, tried spreadsheets, apps, and affirmations. Yet money still feels like a source of stress and tension.
It shows up as second guessing, that cycle of feast or famine, and stories you can’t shake. You’re tired of hustling harder with no real security.
What if you woke up feeling calm and confident about your finances? You’d know what’s coming in, what’s going out, and how much you can pay yourself.
You’d have a simple system that actually works for you, so money management feels easy—even empowering.
You’d make decisions from a grounded, abundant place. You’d build true wealth and have the freedom to do something fun with your kids, without stress.
If that resonates with you, the Unstoppable Experience is for you.
Opportunities to Work Together & Connect with Me
If the doors are open today, join now for the best bonuses of the year. If you hear this later, visit the sales page and apply.
My mission is to help you simplify money by guiding you back to yourself, to emotional safety, capacity, and grounded power—so money supports you instead of something you fear and avoid.
We work together so you stop abandoning yourself in your financial decisions, so you rise into sustainable, aligned wealth and impact.
We have profitable systems for you, mindset rewiring, and energetic identity work so you become the confident, grounded leader in your business and life.
Ready to Take the Next Step? Here’s How
When you’re ready to take action on your mindset, your money, or the system behind it, I’m here for you. Whether you’re snagging a free resource, exploring a mini course, diving into Money Mastery Academy, or scheduling a complimentary bookkeeping consult, your next step is waiting. Find everything you need at https://aimeecerka.com/podcastlinks.
Thank you so much for listening to Money Simplified! My favorite place to hang out is on Instagram—find me at @AimeeCerka for behind-the-scenes, stories, and to share your biggest takeaway. Or just say hi! I love hearing from podcast listeners.
See you next time!
