I'll tell you who DOESN'T have a problem with under-earning!

Christian Louboutin. I just read an article about him in Vanity Fair. I mean, come on! $6,000 for a pair of shoes?! And I feel guilty for getting paid my piddly hourly rate?! Clearly I need to change my marketing plan.

I mean you have to have some serious self-confidence to get that kind of dough. I will take THIS with me, though. He NEVER gives away his shoes for free. Even stars have to pay for them. He plays with the desire thing. If you are not required to pay, you don't want it as much.

I agree. I remember one time I took a big pay cut in order to help one of my students continue taking lessons with me even though times were tough for her and her family. Result: she stopped coming regularly, she was often late, everything else in the world became more important for her than our lessons. Apparently doing what I saw as the Right thing actually communicated that I was worth less than before. Not cool.

So Louboutin has something there. Believe in your own value first, then others will too. Unless you really suck. In that case, you should change your line of work.