When the Numbers Don’t Match the Calling: What Lowering My CE Prices Taught Me About Purpose, Rest, and Reality
Can I be honest for a moment? Not “professional LinkedIn honest” but Black-woman-who’s-built-something-from-scratch-and-is-still-trusting-God-every-step honest.
Last year, I poured my heart, brain, degrees, and credentials into launching my first on-demand, ASWB-approved continuing education courses for social workers nationwide. I did the research, engaged in a peer-review process, and priced the courses exactly where seasoned professionals told me they should be.
And still… the sales didn’t reflect the work.
For me, moments like this touch a tender place: that space where purpose meets practicality, calling meets capitalism, confidence meets humility, and “I know this is high value” meets “but this isn’t adding up.”
Today, I want to take you inside the decision I made, a decision most business coaches would discourage, and what it taught me about alignment, accessibility, and showing up for the people I’m called to serve.
When the Vision Is Clear but the Sales Are Not
Let’s start with the unglamorous truth: My CE courses didn’t sell the way I expected, hoped, or prepared for them to. I just knew when I launched the courses I would sell several hundred in the first year. Oh, how I was humbled.
Now listen, developing these courses wasn’t a “wake up and throw something together” kind of project. I intentionally created courses that offer unique perspectives on overlooked topics, thinking they would stand out from the crowd. The process took months of researching trauma-informed, ethically grounded, culturally responsive content, and then completing the Approved Continuing Education (ACE) approval process with the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB).
Once the courses launched, it was not lost on me that I was competing with CE giants like NASW, PESI, and Rutgers. I knew I didn’t have their budgets or their reach, so I hustled. I built brand awareness, grew my social media platforms, engaged in email marketing, posted consistently, and even ran seasonal sales. And still… not much movement.
Here’s the part many entrepreneurs won’t admit out loud: Oftentimes, the work is excellent, but the results are slow. The effort is there, but the analytics… are humbling.
But I’m here to remind you that slow doesn’t mean off track. It just means you might need to adjust.
The Audit That Shifted Everything
At the end of last year, I did what any diligent business owner would do. I conducted an internal and external audit. But I didn’t just do it with my numbers; I also did it with my spirit.
I asked myself hard questions:
Is the pricing aligned with my purpose?
Does the pricing model serve me or the people I am hoping to support?
Am I making decisions based on fear, pride, or stewardship?
As a small business owner, it is easy to tell myself stories about why things are or aren’t working. That’s why earlier in the year, I started focusing on brand awareness, email marketing, posting on social media, and networking with other social workers and entrepreneurs.
But the results of the external audit showed that my pricing was not competitive with the market. When I was really honest, I had to appreciate that even though my TikTok feed was saturated with social workers calling on each other to diversify their income, advocate for pay transparency, and charge our worth, many (if not most) social workers are tired and financially stretched (which is why diversifying income and pay transparency are so important).
I knew that if I truly wanted my courses to serve the people they were created for (i.e., clinicians craving affordable CE credits, practitioners exhausted by burnout, folks seeking culturally grounded professional development, etc.) I needed to make a bold shift. So I made a decision most business coaches would discourage:
I lowered my prices.
Dramatically.
From $50/CE to $20/CE.
Not because the value decreased, but because the financial barrier needed to.
Following the Assignment (Even When it Doesn’t Look “Business Smart”)
Let me say this plainly: I did not launch Shayla Élise Walker, LLC just to build a business. I had no internal desire to become an entrepreneur; I gave that dream up five years ago when I realized that outpatient therapy was not my calling.
I established SEW, LLC because it was my spiritual assignment. God told me He had a message for me to share, and if you know anything about spiritual obedience, you know it doesn’t always align with what the business blogs say.
So I followed my assignment. Not the algorithms, not the pricing experts, and not the fear that whispers, “You’re doing too much for too little.” And as soon as I made the decision, peace followed.
CTA: The Same Excellence. A New Accessibility.
So here’s where I stand today. My continuing education courses offer the
✨ Same quality.
✨ Same rigor.
✨ Same heart.
And now they are
✨ More affordable!
My CE courses are now $20 per credit hour, not because I reduced the value, but because I removed the barrier. And to me, that is what good business is about.
So if you’re ready to earn high-quality, on-demand ASWB-approved CE credits in a way that honors both your budget and your well-being, you can register anytime:
👉 shaylawalker.com/continuing-education
FAQ
1. Did lowering your prices change the quality of the CE courses?
Absolutely not. The content is the same high-quality, empirically-based, ethically grounded material created with intention, expertise, and care.
2. Are the courses still ASWB-approved?
Yes. Every CE course I offer is ASWB-approved and accepted in states that recognize ASWB-approved continuing education.
3. Why $20 per credit hour?
Because it meets social workers where we actually are. It honors real budgets, real circumstances, and the reality that professional development shouldn’t be financially draining.
4. Who are the CE courses designed for?
The courses are ideal for LCSWs, LMSWs, supervisors, clinicians in private practice, and agencies seeking accessible, culturally competent training.
5. Will you add more CE courses in the future?
Yes! More courses are currently in development. My goal is to expand offerings in areas like mental health, critical self-reflection, ethics, values-based decision-making, and culturally responsive practice.
