6 Figure Creative

I know, I know, as soon as you hear “SEO,” you throw your headphones across the room and continue on with whatever fluffy, fun creative task you’ve been working on the past eleven hours.While the technical jargon of SEO, marketing, and web traffic sounds boring as all hell, I’m here to suggest that you give it a chance.The reason you should take a second glance:Infinite…Money…OK, that's an over-exaggeration.But just think about how many problems would be solved for you if you had 1,000,000 people coming to your website Every. Single. Month.You'd never need to worry about making ends meet again. No more fumbling around on social media. No more endless barrage of cold email pitches.If you are diligent about the SEO practices in this episode, you can develop completely organic traffic to your website (that means NO paid ads) and even monetize the visitors that show up through affiliate marketing.Having worked with Disney, Omega, Nintendo, and many more big brands, Jacob Cass is THE guy to listen to when it comes to the secret sauce behind SEO.If you haven’t quite hit that 1 MILLION site views per month milestone (like Jacob has), give this episode a listen!In this episode you’ll discover: How Jacob became a digital nomad before it was cool Growing your business with focus and intent Using affiliate marketing to boost your income Scaling your business with SEO Researching keywords for SEO ranking The tools you can use for SEO ranking Understanding domain ratings Determining your entrepreneurial personality For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/237

After covering the marketing, sales, and problem-solving skill stacks last week, we should be ready to knock our creative business out of the park, right?Not quite yet...There are a few more “non-creative” skill stacks that are essential to get right if you want to be a well-rounded and effective freelancer in 2023 and beyond.Some creatives may look at these skills and say… “These things don’t inspire me.”  “I only need to get better at my craft.”  “I’m bad at these, so I can’t improve them!” If that sounds like you, then all I can do from the comfort of my sofa as I type this is facepalm. 🤦🏻‍♂️Do you, your income, your business, and your clients a favor by at least giving this episode a shot. I wholeheartedly believe investing time and energy into these 5 skill stacks will improve your relationships, increase your productivity, and help you earn more this year.In this episode you’ll discover: Focusing on a wide band of skills rather than the selfish "I band" Making friends and maintaining relationships The skill of having self-awareness Combining focus and discipline The dilemma of opportunity cost Using tools to manage your time Why you need systems and processes Understanding your business's key performance indicators Knowing how and when to hire staff For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/236

Every year, I'm going to bet that your niche is getting more and more competitive.There's always another music producer, photographer, designer, copywriter, developer, or videographer popping up out of nowhere... And the scary part is... They're actually really good at what they do.What can you do to stay ahead of the competition?Get better at your craft? Probably not...Instead, you need to become a "Full Stack Freelancer" if you want to be a successful freelancer in 2023 and beyond.There's a laundry list of other "noncreative" skills that will do so much more for the success of your business, and in this episode, I’m going to delve into 3 of my most essential skill stacks to put you on the road to becoming a competent full stack freelancer this year. 🤘In this episode you’ll discover: Becoming a full-stack freelancer The foundation of being a freelancer Honing your marketing skills Copywriting for small businesses Basic design for freelancers Understanding paid ads and funnels The strategy behind your business' marketing plan Confidence and conviction Persuading leads that you are the best option (because you are) FITFO in your full stack For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/235

What did I learn building a BRAND new 6 figure income stream last year?Of course, the idea of building a new 6 figure income stream sounds great right?… until you’re a year in and still not making the progress you wanted to.It feels like paddling toward an island that never seems to get any closer. Why not chuck the paddle and give up?The good news is you’re not alone! I’ve been there, and no matter how bad it feels, slow and steady still wins the race.“But Brian, you’re already successful, how can you relate to us beginner business owners?”Well, I just started a BRAND new income stream in 2022, and I want to let you in on 9 specific actionable lessons that I learned (and re-learned) while building it to 6 figures.Enough generic “here’s what I learned in 2022” talk, let’s dive into the nuts and bolts of exactly what I had to learn from $0 to 6 figures revenue in 2022!In this episode you’ll discover: Why slow and steady wins the race Removing yourself from bad friendships Choosing the right pricing The wins paid advertising can provide Fixing the bottlenecks you're facing Keep growing your skills! Don't run your business alone Spend time creating a plan For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/234

It's officially 2023, and this is the time of year everyone starts looking to the future of what's possible. Is this the year you finally leave your day job behind? Is this the year you finally crack $100k in revenue? Is this the year you finally break $100k in profit? Whatever your goal, one of the most helpful things I can do as a podcaster is show you someone who's accomplished all of these things in a relatively short amount of time.Lydia Kerr of Telltale Design Co made the transition from "side hustle" to $20,000 per month in less than 4 years of starting her design business. In this interview, you'll hear her story of how she launched Telltale Design Co while working a full-time day job, and she replaced that day job income within just a few months of freelancing, and ultimately how she made the shift from "low-dollar $500 project" freelancer to a "premium-priced $10k project" business owner.In this episode you’ll discover: How Lydia went from 0 to full-time in a few short months Growing your business to multiple six figures in under five years The difference between living in a small town or big city Why your $500 client will never be your $5,000 client Using social media to promote your business Working within clients' budgets Being honest with your clients Creating mutual respect with clients What tools to use for your business For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/233

I'm sure you already know how easy it is to get bogged down by the day-to-day tasks and admin work that comes with running a freelance business. You probably don't know all of the amazing tools out there that (when used correctly) will help you focus on what you do best... Create.By leveraging the right tools, you can increase profits, reduce frustration, and create a sense of calm in your workflow. From project management and invoicing tools to marketing platforms and collaboration apps, we'll discuss my top 11 favorite tools every creative freelancer should have in their toolkit.Whether you're just starting out as a freelancer or you're looking to take your thriving business to the next level in 2023, this episode is for you.Listen now to learn how these tools can help you streamline your workflow, stay organized, and grow your business.In this episode you’ll discover: Why you should invest in the tools you need The toxicity of the blue-collar mindset Solving internal communication for your team Staying on top of client relationships the easy way How to keep productivity high as a freelancer Bookkeeping made simple Choosing the best payment provider Saving hours per week on audio/video editing Using your external brain to stay organized For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/232

The sad reality for most freelancers is that they're just offering the same "copycat" services as everyone else around them. Because of this, they're stuck in a competitive hell.This is called a "commoditized service".Think about how you buy a commodity like salt and pepper... You look at the shelf and buy the first thing you see that matches your pricing expectation. As far as you're concerned, all the options are pretty much the same.This is what it's like for freelancers. Anyone who's looking to hire a freelancer can literally "shop" Fiverr.com for dozens of different creative services where thousands of freelancers are competing with each other.In the perfect world, you'd find a way to stand out and become a "monopolized service", but that takes a LOT of time, effort, and energy to develop the necessary skills.The good news is that you can still thrive in an extremely competitive industry, and this week's episode will give you 6 ways to get more clients even as a copycat freelancer.In this episode you’ll discover: Why you need to stand out as a freelancer The dangers of rock bottom pricing in commoditized services Reviews vs. testimonials Providing a premium service for your customers Finding clients who know, like, and trust you Digital relationships The value of good copywriting for your business Funnels for freelancers For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/231

Have you ever checked a price for a flight, only to come back later and see that the price increased (or decreased) significantly?This is something called "dynamic pricing", and it's what some of the largest businesses in the world do to maximize their profits.This is a technique I learned in 2015 when using a new "dynamic pricing" tool on my Airbnb, and it added a 20% boost to my rental income.It worked so damn well that I brought the same idea to my freelance business that same year.If you're looking for clever ways to give yourself a pay raise, maximize your income, and fight against inflation by using supply and demand to your advantage, this episode is for you.In this episode you’ll discover: Why you should go fill out our feedback form right now Using dynamic pricing to make the most profit for your business How to determine your pricing based on timing and schedule Why it's ethical to charge annoying clients more Why last-minute projects are often the worst to work on Filling your last-minute schedule gaps with "fire sale" rates Who to blame if you get called out (hint: it's Brian) Why you deserve this! For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/230

The message of this week's episode is simple...Raise your gosh darn rates. There are way too many dangers of perpetually undercharging for your services (which we discuss in this episode).There are also so many benefits to your life/business when you charge more that you can't keep putting off rate increases.You might even need to completely restructure your services so you can charge more, but the effort is worth the result.In this episode you’ll discover: Why low prices are a red flag for clients Low rates = bad clients The threshold of raising your rates Lifetime client value and your business Why being business-savvy makes you a better creative The importance of understanding your market and clients DON'T RUSH your work Why ignoring people outside your network is a fatal mistake For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/229

If you've been stuck at 4 or 5 figures per year as a freelancer, there's likely one ingredient that is holding you back from growth.Without this ingredient, it is 100% impossible to get clients, grow your income, and get past the 6 figure mark (if that's your goal).In this week's episode of the 6 Figure Creative Podcast, my buddy Mark Eckert and I map out the path you can take to overcoming all of the hurdles between you and this incredibly important missing ingredient.In this episode you’ll discover: How to move from four/five figures to six figures+ Why you aren't full time yet How to revamp your entire public-facing identity as a freelancer The difference between advertising vs. content marketing and why this matters for freelancers Why you should be producing more than consuming How sticking to a schedule or routine can tie all of this together For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/228