6 Figure Creative

Just because you're making money doesn't mean you're thriving as a freelancer. And if you're NOT making money? You're definitely not thriving. Here's what a thriving freelance business actually looks like: stable income, financial runway so you can take a hit without panicking, no constant fires to put out, and you actually enjoy what you do. Sound like your business right now? Yeah. Didn't think so. The second you started taking money for your skills, 12 critical roles appeared out of thin air in your business: Fulfillment, sales, marketing, operations, accounting, project management, IT/tech, legal, client relationships, creative direction, management... and CEO. In a big corporation, each of those has a department head, managers, and entire teams. As a freelancer? That's all you, baby. And if your business isn't where you want it to be, you're failing at exercising one (or more) of these muscles. So how do you fix this? That’s what this episode is all about. You’ll discover: The "treat it like the gym" framework for consistently working on the hard stuff you've been avoiding for months (or years) How to identify which muscle is your biggest bottleneck right now and start strengthening it one hour at a time Why emotions make you a great creative but a terrible business owner (and what to do about it)… Can you make this work? Wrong question. The right question is: How can I make this work? "Can I" is for dabblers. "How can I" is for people who actually succeed. So pick your mountain. Set your gym time. And start climbing one hour at a time. For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/390

You can spend years building a wildly successful six-figure (or multi-six-figure) freelance business... Only to watch it crumble to dust. Not because you sucked at your craft. Not because you weren't talented enough. But because you didn't defend yourself properly against a handful of silent killers. One of these silent killers once cost me five weeks of work I had to make up for free. (Could've been prevented. Wasn't. Sucked.) So in this week's episode, I'm breaking down the five hidden dangers that can wipe out a six-figure freelance business (and more importantly, exactly how to defend yourself against each one). Here's what we're tackling: How to prevent burnout (you know, when you basically hate your clients and want to burn down your entire business) and recognize the warning signs before that happens. The “give-a-mouse-a-cookie” problem that sucks away your profit (and one simple phrase that stops it). The simple systems that keep you safe from the tax man (no, you can’t outsmart the system. Don’t try). Legal essentials that protect your business (rare, but when they strike, they can wipe you out completely. Here’s how to stay out of the danger zone). And the #1 completely preventable “silent killer” - payment issues. You've worked too hard to build your business to let it get taken down by something completely avoidable. Let's make sure that doesn't happen. For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/388

“Raise your gosh darn rates.” I literally have a podcast episode with this title. But that advice is not for everyone because raising your prices isn’t always the answer. Every freelancer has a “Goldilocks sweet spot” for their pricing. The perfect balance of rates that keep you booked, profitable, and sane. Charge too much? You've got the "luxury mirage"… premium prices, but an empty calendar. Charge too little? Welcome to the "bargain bin trap"… a packed calendar full of soul-sucking projects where you resent your clients and can barely keep your head above water. This week’s episode is all about finding that pricing sweet spot that keeps you booked with better clients. I’ll give you… 4 steps. and 3 important metrics. I break it all down on Episode #386: The Goldilocks Pricing Rule for Freelancers (Not Too High, Not Too Low) For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/386

We all get the same 24 hours in a day. So why can some people get more done in that 24 hours than others? It’s not ALWAYS about doing more. In many cases it’s about doing the RIGHT things consistently (at the right time of day). My day starts at 5:30 AM with 15 minutes of reading and straight to the gym for a workout. It’s a non-negotiable for me, whether I feel like it or not. So my advice for you: Set aside “power hours” to work ON your business every day - as a non-negotiable. Just like going to the gym, it’s a “business booty bootcamp” that directly adds junk to your trunk (aka revenue to your bank account) when you do it consistently. (Oh, and DO NOT check emails first thing in the morning. Ever.) This week’s episode is all about how to know WHAT to work on and how to prioritize it so you can actually have the business and the life that you want. Things like: Micro-routines that help you knock out the important stuff quickly How I structure my day based on my energy levels, and my best “hacks” for creative focus The “hate-charity” trick that helps me accomplish my goals The 3 biggest issues that keep you from prioritizing (even when you want to) Listen now to Episode #384: The “Power Hour” Method (How Smart Freelancers Work) For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/384

If you've ever thought to yourself, "I need more clients, please God, rain them down out of the sky" - I'm probably gonna piss you off today. Hopefully in a good way. Some numbers I found interesting and concerning: 68% of freelancers rely on passive methods to get clients. 58% said client acquisition was their number one challenge. 🤨 Hmmmm…I wonder why that is? Now, when I say “passive methods” I mean things like word of mouth and referrals, networking, and social media. If you’re waiting and hoping for a potential client to reach out to you… EVEN if you’re on the freelance marketplaces or showing up to networking events… You still have a passive client acquisition system. And it sucks @$$ for several reasons… First: For every freelancer that's out there, there hundreds (or thousands) of clients that need your services who never hire anyone (or hire the wrong person) simply because they didn't know you exist. Second: By ****waiting around for clients to find you magically, not only are you hurting yourself and your bank account, you're hurting those potential clients you could have helped (if they just knew you existed). The solution? Convert passive methods to active ones. This week’s episode is all about how to do that including: How to amp up your referral flow A better way to do direct outreach Why “freelance marketplaces” are kinda a scam The ONE active strategy that works better than anything else For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/382

Traditional proposals are a massive waste of time. You put all this time and effort into a long, fancy 10-page proposal that you THINK is going to impress your clients… When in reality, there’s a better way to close that deal. This week’s episode is for you if you rely on proposals to do the heavy lifting for you. Instead, use my 4-step “anti-proposal sales process” that lands you more clients: HINT: Don’t sell them the flight and logistics, sell them the vacation. This episode will dive into: What to do instead of sending proposals Why proposals = ghosted clients My BAMFAM follow-up tip that always works BONUS - how to turn your “proposal” into a paid product (this one is genius) For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/380

If you’re not getting the number of leads and clients you want… It can be tempting to think that you need to DO more. No, it’s not time to update your website again. No, you don’t need a higher-converting funnel. No, you don’t need more content. No, the latest AI miracle isn’t going to save you. None of that matters if your positioning is vague and you’re saying something nobody really cares about… OR you have zero evidence to back it up. Quick diagnostic: No clicks = you have a positioning problem Clicks but no opt-ins = you have a proof problem Discovery Calls but no sales = probably a proof + offer problem Which one are you? Listen to this week’s episode to find out (and how to fix it). For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/378

Every superhero has an arch-nemesis (or two). Batman’s got the Joker. Spidey’s got the Green Goblin. Superman? Lex Luthor. But you? You’ve got five freelancing villains quietly sabotaging your business. There’s no maniacal laughter or evil stare. They’re not wearing capes or threatening to destroy the world with a giant-ass laser. These villains are more subtle: “Just one more YouTube video…” “I’ll do those reachouts tomorrow…” “I need to fix my portfolio first…” And before you know it? They’ve stolen another week of progress. If there’s one thing I’ve learned working 1 on 1 with hundreds of creative freelancers, it’s this: You don’t rise to the level of your strategy…You fall to the level of your patterns. I've seen clients with a flawless strategy that they're trying to execute… And yet they can't get out of their own damn way to execute it. Because when things get hard, or new, or uncomfortable… We default down to whatever survival pattern we’ve always used to cope. In this week’s episode, I’m joined by one of the Clients by Design coaches, Josh Love, to call out all 5 of those freelancing villains (and how to finally defeat them). We’ll dive into: how these patterns form how they masquerade as productivity what to do when you catch yourself spiraling. The first step to defeating your particular villain is knowing which one you’re dealing with. For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/376