There is a popular mindset that says if you want to make more money, you must be willing to do things that other people are too proud, too embarrassed or too afraid to do.
In simple words: be more shameless.
Not shameless in the sense of being dishonest, immoral or disrespectful.
Rather, be shameless about starting small, asking questions, promoting yourself, selling your skills, knocking on doors and doing honest work that may not look impressive to other people.
One of the biggest obstacles preventing people from making more money is not always a lack of opportunity.
Sometimes, it is pride.
People want to start from the top.
They want the beautiful office before the business has made money.
They want the expensive branding before they have customers.
They want to be called CEO before they have built anything.
They want a big salary but are unwilling to learn new skills.
They want to become successful entrepreneurs but are embarrassed to sell their products personally.
Meanwhile, someone else is quietly doing the work they consider “too small” and making money from it.
That is why the statement, “Until you’ve made it, nothing is below you,” carries an important lesson.
Pride Does Not Pay Bills
There is nothing wrong with having dignity.
There is nothing wrong with having standards.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to build a meaningful career.
But there is a difference between dignity and unnecessary pride.
If you need money and there is a legitimate opportunity to earn it, why should you be embarrassed because the job is not glamorous?
A person may start by selling food.
Another may wash cars.
Someone may become a delivery rider.
Another person may sell clothes online.
Someone may start designing flyers for small businesses.
Another person may offer cleaning services.
Someone may teach children after school.
None of these jobs should be considered shameful if they are legitimate and provide value.
The problem begins when people become more concerned about how the work looks than what it can achieve.
You cannot eat people’s opinions.
You cannot pay your landlord with pride.
You cannot pay school fees with reputation.
You cannot build financial security by worrying about whether your friends think your hustle is impressive.
Sometimes, you have to start where you are.
The Person Selling on WhatsApp May Be Building an Empire
Social media has made it easy to see people’s finished products without seeing the journey behind them.
You see someone driving a beautiful car.
You see another person travelling abroad.
You see a successful entrepreneur announcing a new office.
You see someone celebrating a business milestone.
What you don’t see is the period when they were sending products from their bedroom.
You don’t see them calling customers.
You don’t see them packaging orders at midnight.
You don’t see them posting the same product twenty times before someone finally buys.
You don’t see the rejection.
You don’t see the failed businesses.
You don’t see the embarrassing first attempt.
Many successful businesses started in very ordinary places.
A person may begin with five customers.
Then ten.
Then fifty.
Then one hundred.
Eventually, the small hustle becomes a company.
The person who was once selling products from a WhatsApp status may eventually employ people who have university degrees and years of corporate experience.
The beginning may look small.
The destination may be enormous.
Ask for the Opportunity
One of the most underrated forms of “shamelessness” is simply asking.
Ask for the job.
Ask for the contract.
Ask for the referral.
Ask someone to introduce you.
Ask a potential customer if they need your service.
Ask a company if they are hiring.
Ask an experienced person for advice.
Ask for feedback.
Ask.
Many people are afraid of rejection.
They imagine that someone saying “no” is a reflection of their worth.
It is not.
Rejection is part of business and life.
If you send ten proposals and nine people reject you, that does not mean you are a failure.
It means you have one person left to convince.
Sometimes, the person who eventually gives you your biggest opportunity is simply the person you had the courage to approach.
You cannot receive an opportunity you never asked for.
Stop Waiting to Look Successful
Another problem is that people want to look successful before becoming successful.
They spend money on appearances.
They buy expensive clothes.
They take loans for cars.
They rent expensive offices.
They create beautiful websites.
They print expensive business cards.
But underneath all of it, there is no real business.
This is backwards.
Your first priority should be creating value.
If you can make money from your bedroom, start there.
If you can operate from your phone, start there.
If you can get your first customer through WhatsApp, start there.
If you can deliver the service yourself, do it.
You can improve the packaging later.
You can upgrade the office later.
You can hire staff later.
You can buy the company car later.
There is no prize for looking successful before you actually are.
Nothing Is Below You—But Not Everything Is Acceptable
This message needs an important qualification.
Being shameless about work does not mean doing anything for money.
There is a difference between humility and desperation.
You should never have to commit fraud, steal, deceive people, exploit others or participate in illegal activities simply because you want to make money.
There are boundaries.
The idea is not:
“Do anything for money.”
The idea is:
“Do honest work without allowing pride to stop you.”
That distinction matters.
If you are willing to work hard, learn, sell, serve customers, clean, deliver, build, repair, teach, create or provide legitimate services, there is no reason to be ashamed.
Your work does not determine your worth.
And starting small does not mean you will remain small.
Learn to Sell Yourself
A lot of talented people struggle financially because they are uncomfortable promoting themselves.
They say:
“I don’t like disturbing people.”
“I don’t want to advertise too much.”
“I don’t want people to think I’m desperate.”
Meanwhile, somebody with half their skill is making more money because they are willing to tell people what they do.
If you are a graphic designer, tell people.
If you build websites, show your work.
If you sell clothes, display your products.
If you cook, let people know.
If you are a photographer, publish your portfolio.
If you are a consultant, explain your expertise.
If you provide a service, make it easy for people to find you.
There is nothing shameful about saying:
“I can solve this problem. If you need help, contact me.”
That is business.
Start With What You Have
One of the biggest excuses people make is that they do not have enough money to start.
Sometimes that is true.
But sometimes, the real problem is that they have not explored what they already possess.
You may have a smartphone.
You may have internet access.
You may have a skill.
You may know people who need that skill.
You may have knowledge that someone else is willing to pay for.
You may have access to a market.
You may have time.
You may have a small amount of capital.
The first question should not always be:
“What do I need?”
Sometimes it should be:
“What do I already have, and how can I turn it into value?”
That change in thinking can make a significant difference.
Do the Work Nobody Wants to Do
There are opportunities hiding inside problems that people consider unpleasant.
Someone has to clean.
Someone has to deliver.
Someone has to answer customer complaints.
Someone has to manage social media.
Someone has to write content.
Someone has to repair things.
Someone has to organise data.
Someone has to make calls.
Someone has to follow up with customers.
Someone has to do the boring administrative work.
If everyone wants to do the glamorous part, the less glamorous parts can become opportunities.
Sometimes, the easiest way to make money is to solve a problem that other people are unwilling to solve.
And if you do that consistently and professionally, people will eventually pay you more for it.
Your First Money May Not Be Impressive
Do not despise your first ₦5,000.
Do not despise your first ₦20,000.
Do not despise your first customer.
Do not despise the first person who recommends you.
Every successful business has a beginning.
The first payment proves something important:
Someone was willing to exchange money for the value you provided.
That is significant.
Your goal should be to understand why they paid you and how you can create that value repeatedly.
The ₦5,000 becomes ₦50,000.
The ₦50,000 becomes ₦500,000.
The ₦500,000 becomes something larger.
Not automatically, of course.
Growth requires better systems, better skills, better marketing and better decision-making.
But you cannot grow what you are too proud to start.
Do Not Confuse Hustle With Lack of Direction
There is also a danger in taking the “nothing is below you” philosophy too literally.
You should not spend your entire life jumping from one random hustle to another without developing a direction.
There is a difference between being willing to work and being willing to waste your time.
The goal is not to remain at the bottom.
The goal is to use your early opportunities as stepping stones.
If you start selling products, learn sales.
If you start designing, improve your design skills.
If you start delivering, learn logistics.
If you start freelancing, build a portfolio.
If you start farming, learn modern agricultural techniques.
If you start coding, build real products.
Turn the hustle into expertise.
Turn expertise into a system.
Turn the system into a business.
That is how small beginnings become meaningful careers.
The People Laughing Today May Ask for Your Help Tomorrow
One of the most painful experiences for people starting small is being laughed at.
Someone may tell you:
“Is this what you are doing now?”
“After university, you are selling this?”
“You used to have a big job. Look at you now.”
Ignore them.
People often judge the present because they cannot see the future.
Your job is not to convince everyone.
Your job is to build.
If the work is honest and it moves you forward, keep going.
The person laughing at your small business today may become your customer tomorrow.
The friend who ignored your first proposal may later ask for your services.
The person who did not believe in you may eventually tell others that they “always knew you would succeed.”
Let your results speak.
Success Requires Humility
The willingness to start small is actually a form of humility.
You are admitting:
“I don’t know everything.”
“I may have to start from the bottom.”
“I may have to learn.”
“I may have to serve people before I lead them.”
“I may have to make mistakes.”
That mindset is powerful.
Successful people are not necessarily people who never experience embarrassment.
They are often people who refuse to allow temporary embarrassment to prevent long-term progress.
You may have to look foolish before you look successful.
You may have to make mistakes before you become excellent.
You may have to hear “no” many times before someone finally says “yes.”
You may have to start with very little before you have something substantial.
That is normal.
Your Goal Is Bigger Than People’s Opinions
At the end of the day, everyone has an opinion.
Some people will think you are doing too much.
Others will think you are not doing enough.
Some will call you ambitious.
Others will call you desperate.
Some will support you.
Others will laugh.
If you allow every opinion to control your decisions, you will never build anything significant.
Have principles.
Have standards.
Have boundaries.
But do not let unnecessary pride prevent you from working.
If you need to start small, start small.
If you need to sell, sell.
If you need to knock on doors, knock.
If you need to promote yourself, promote yourself.
If you need to learn from someone younger than you, learn.
If you need to begin again, begin again.
There is no shame in honest work.
Final Thoughts
The statement “You want to make more money? Be more shameless” may sound provocative, but there is a valuable lesson underneath it.
Sometimes, the biggest obstacle between you and your next level is not a lack of opportunity.
It is fear.
Fear of what people will say.
Fear of starting small.
Fear of rejection.
Fear of looking unsuccessful.
Fear of admitting that you are still learning.
But your future cannot be built entirely around other people’s opinions.
Until you have achieved the financial stability, business success or career position you desire, be willing to do the honest work required to get there.
Start small.
Ask questions.
Sell.
Learn.
Network.
Try.
Fail.
Try again.
Do not be too proud to serve.
Do not be too proud to start from the bottom.
Do not be too proud to learn.
And do not confuse looking successful with actually building success.
Until you’ve made it, nothing honest is below you.
Because the small thing you are embarrassed to do today may be the very thing that gives you the opportunity to build the life you have always wanted tomorrow.