Ep 340: How your business can make money FAST (or slow.)

The Fast Lane vs. The Slow Lane to Money in Your Business

By Kimberly Brock | She's Just Getting Started Podcast, Episode 340

If you're building a business right now — or thinking about starting one — one of the most important questions you can ask yourself is this: Am I in the fast lane to money or the slow lane?

Because here's what I know after 26 years in business: the speed at which you start making money is largely a choice. Not luck. Not timing. Not the economy. A choice. And today I want to walk you through both lanes so you can decide — intentionally — which one you're in and why.

What the Slow Lane to Money Looks Like

The slow lane to money is when you are offering something that people don't even know they need yet. They haven't identified the problem. They've never heard of what you do. They don't know a solution like yours even exists.

Before you can ever make a sale, you have to educate them — on the problem, on the solution, and on why it's worth paying for. That is three layers of selling before a single dollar changes hands. And that takes time.

Now here's my disclaimer: some of you are first to market with something genuinely innovative. Something that once people hear about it, they immediately want it. That's incredible — and it can absolutely work. But you have to plan for a longer runway. You have to know going in that this is going to take time, budget, and consistent marketing before momentum builds.

What I don't want is for you to be surprised. Don't build a business around something no one knows they need and then wonder why it's going so slow. That's not a broken business — that's just the slow lane. Plan accordingly.

The other slow lane? Perfectionism.

This one gets so many brilliant women stuck. You're waiting until your website is perfect. Until your branding is polished. Until your product labels are exactly right. Until you have the perfect photos, the perfect pricing, the perfect pitch.

I'm going to be straight with you: that is not preparation. That is fear dressed up as preparation.

And while you're sitting in that fear, perfecting things that don't need to be perfect yet, there are people out there right now who have a problem you could be solving. They are ready to pay. And they just can't find you because you haven't shown up yet.

Perfectionism delays sales. It delays learning. It delays the very feedback that would actually help you build a better business. You cannot perfect a business before it launches. Your business will have iterations, pivots, and changes no matter what. That is not failure — that is how building a business actually works.

So if you are waiting on perfect, I want you to hear me: you are in the slow lane by choice. And that means you can choose the fast lane instead.

What the Fast Lane to Money Looks Like

The fast lane is simpler than most people think.

Sell something people are already looking for — and give them a reason to buy it from you.

That's it. They already know they have a problem. They're already willing to pay someone to solve it. Your job is not to convince them the problem exists. Your job is just to show up and give them a reason to choose you.

That reason might be:

• Your testimonials and transformation photos
• Your story and why you do what you do
• A time-sensitive offer or promotion
• Your local presence or community connection
• The fact that you're non-toxic, USA-made, faith-based, or customizable
• Or simply that you showed up and told people you exist

Let me give you a real example. My son built a power washing and fence staining business during high school and early college with zero website, zero storefront, and zero ad budget. What did he have? Neighborhood Facebook groups, before and after photos, genuine testimonials, and same-day promos. Things like: "Text me by 7 p.m. tonight and I'll take a percentage off."

He was booked every single day. He got so busy he started hiring other people to work under him. Why? Because people in our area outside of Houston already knew they needed power washing. The humidity, the rain, the grime — it's real. He didn't have to explain the problem. He just had to show up, show proof, and give them a reason to book him over everyone else. That is the fast lane.

Another Fast Lane Story: Ambitious Vibes Candle Bar

I recently recorded an episode with Annalisa Garcia, founder of Ambitious Vibes Candle Bar, and her story is the fast lane in action.

She started her candle business during COVID with around $500. She sold online, tapping into something people already buy and love. But then she noticed something deeper — people didn't just want candles. They wanted community. They wanted somewhere fun to go, something creative to do, a reason to gather.

So she started hosting candle-making events and parties. People started making friends with each other at her events. She built something that wasn't just a product — it was an experience and a community. And now she's opening her own retail location on Main Street in Racine, Wisconsin.

She went from working full-time as an ultrasound tech to working just a couple of days a week, because her business grew to fill the space.

Here's the lesson: she started with something people already buy. And then she added a layer — community — that made it extraordinary. That's a fast lane business with a long-term competitive edge built right in.

The Story That Brought This All Home For Me

I want to share something personal because I think it will resonate.

Recently I realized I needed a signature speech. Not a quick 10-minute talk, but a real, structured speech I could use if someone paid me to speak on a stage. So I did what any of us do — I went to Google, then YouTube, then Instagram, looking for someone who could help.

I found Carol Cox at Speaking Your Brand. She was talking about exactly what I needed — helping you build a signature speech so you can start getting on stages, whether you start for free locally or eventually get paid. She was speaking my language completely.

Her website had a button to book a free call. I booked it that morning. We talked at 4 p.m. that same day. By the end of the call I knew I was in. She told me about a small cohort program starting the following week. She gave me the price. I didn't blink.

Why? Because I had a problem. She had the solution. She had experience and testimonials. She was starting next week — there was a natural urgency. And she was speaking directly to exactly where I was.

I wasn't thinking about whether her website was perfect. I wasn't analyzing her branding. I was thinking about solving my problem. And she made it easy for me to say yes.

That is who is waiting for you right now. Someone with your exact problem, ready to pay, looking for you to show up and make it easy to say yes.

So Which Lane Are You In?

Here's how to know:

You're in the slow lane if:

• You're offering something people don't know they need yet and you haven't planned for the education curve
• You're waiting on your business to be perfect before you tell anyone about it
• You know you have something people want but fear is keeping you from showing up

You're in the fast lane if:

• You're selling something people are actively looking for
• You're showing up consistently where your people are
• You're giving them a clear reason to buy from you now

The Bottom Line

The fast lane to money is not complicated. It's not about having the biggest following or the most polished brand or the perfect website. It's about offering something people already want, showing up where they are, and giving them a reason to choose you.

And if you're going to be in the slow lane — that's okay. Some of the most innovative businesses start there. But make it a choice. Plan for it. Give yourself a runway. Don't stumble into the slow lane without realizing it and then wonder why the momentum isn't coming.

You have something people need. I truly believe that. The world is waiting on you to show up.

So get in the fast lane. Tell people. Start now.

Want help getting your business out of the slow lane and into momentum? Contact me here

🎧 Listen to Episode 340 of She's Just Getting Started wherever you get your podcasts.