In this week’s Ten Money Questions, we speak with Barbara Stanny, an accomplished motivational speaker, author, new blogger and expert on women’s financial issues. Barbara’s new book, Overcoming Underearning, offers compelling stories about women who increased their income, freed up time, enhanced relationships and even lost weight by overcoming underearning. Money works magic! Below, Barbara offers some advice and gets personal about all things financial.

1. How is underearning self-imposed? What can women do to live up to their full potential and earn what they deserve?
If you look at the 10 traits of an underearner—for example, they talk as if they’re trapped; they give away their power; they are self-saboteurs, codependent, vague about money and often anti-wealth—you can see every single trait is a result of a choice we made.

Above all, women must be willing to be uncomfortable, to do what they’re scared to do. The number one requirement to go to the next level in your life is the willingness to do what you think you can’t do. And a big part of that is valuing yourself.