6 Figure Creative

I recently came across one of the coolest freelance businesses I've ever seen, and I wanted to bring this to the 6 Figure Creative audience.I'm not going to spoil anything, but this freelancer is earning over $1 Million per year without a staff, without contractors, and he's able to accomplish this just by taking inspiration from a totally different industry than his own.If you're feeling stagnant, stuck, uninspired, or you're simply not earning what you think you should be in your own business, this episode is absolutely for you.In this episode you’ll discover: Why you shouldn't rely on a single point of failure Taking influence from other businesses outside of your industry Creating income stability with a better business model How to stay away from becoming an "inbred business" How successful entrepreneurs deal with roadblocks Sharing knowledge with your "competition" For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/217

No matter how much you love doing what you do, there are always going to be things that you hate doing but still need to be done.This is the life of a business owner, and one of the root causes of burnout.What if I told you there was a way to spend less time doing the stuff you hate so you can spend more time doing what you love?There is, and it's something called the "Easy Ates" framework. This episode will break down how to use this framework in your own business so you can avoid burnout, work less, and spend much more time enjoying your creative business.In this episode you’ll discover: Finding time to work on your business instead of in your business How successful business owners use the same 24 hours you have The best app to track your time KPIs Eliminating the stressors in your business Brian's 4-step framework for saving time Systemizing your processes for more efficient business practices Protecting yourself from outside factors Procrastinating with perfectionism Why not all hours are created equal The "Easy Ates" Framework Eliminate Can you remove this from your business entirely? Automate Can you set up a system to do this for you? Delegate Can someone else do this for you? Mitigate How can we make this task less painful if we can't eliminate, automate, or delegate it? For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/216

By FAR the easiest way to monetize your creative skills is by offering freelance services. The only issue with that approach is that it puts a cap on how much you could ever hope to earn per hour. $50 per hour? Sure. $500 per hour? Maybe... $5,000 per hour!? Possibly $500,000 per hour? As a freelancer? There's no way that I know of... The other issue with the freelance business model is that if you're not working, then you're not earning a dime (unless you know some secret hack to get paid time off as a freelancer, in which case hmu).While freelancing can be a great way to get started as a designer, there's a far better business model that our podcast guest this week has used to earn up to $500k per hour–allowing her to travel the world full-time as a digital nomad.The business model is partnering with big brands via licensing, and Cat Coquillette has mastered the process of being a prolific creator while also getting her designs placed in some of the biggest stores in the world, including Target, Urban Outfitters, Nordstrom, Bed Bath & Beyond, and more.Listen now to hear how she built her design business from the ground up while skipping out on the freelance part entirely.In this episode you’ll discover: How to skip the freelance game and jump into scaleable income A tax loophole to write off most of your travel expenses 80/20 for creatives - playing the numbers game Using Print on Demand services to sell your designs Being open to all opportunities Handling criticism well Contract negotiation - give and take The importance of an active mailing list Focusing on the important parts of your business For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/215

Answer this question: If you don't work today, will you still make money? What if you take the whole week off? Or the whole month?This is the biggest drawback of being a freelancer. You have to work more if you want to earn more. There are a number of consequences for this, but the biggest issue for creatives like us is that the more we work, the more we face burnout. The more we face burnout, the higher the chance that we'll lose the initial passion that drove us to this business in the first place.That means that the more we earn as freelancers, the more we'll face burnout.I'm sure you see the issue here... while you may love what you do, I'm sure you want to maintain a healthy balance between maintaining creativity and maintaining your bank account.None of us want to feel like we're on a hampster wheel of working just to pay the bills, but this is the sad reality of some of the most successful freelancers I know.They built amazingly successful careers (at least financially), but they unknowingly built a trap for themselves. As their income increased, so did their lifestyle and bills.As their bills increased, so did their dependency on their freelance income. This created a perpetual cycle of saying "yes" to projects they otherwise would have said "no" to if they didn't need the money.So how do we get out of this deadly cycle? Well... One method is to just keep your living expenses (and business expenses) as low as humanly possible.The other method (and one I much prefer) is to break away from directly trading your dollars for hours.This is the choice that Rachel Brenke took in her own businesses, which have allowed her to scale her income to over $9,000,000.While she does offer 1-to-1 services just like any typical freelancer, she's also built something called an "ascension ladder", which has allowed her to keep earning money regardless of whether she works this month or not.If you're still on the hours-for-dollars treadmill, and you want to break away, this week's episode of the 6 Figure Creative Podcast is for you.In this episode you’ll discover: The art (and science) of niching down How to offer services and products in multiple niches Automating and outsourcing the stuff you don't want to do How to build an "ascension ladder" as a freelancer Why relying on a single point of failure can destroy a business The 80/20 of content marketing that actually brings in clients For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/214

I'm super excited to share this with you today because this is the stuff that really moves the needle in your business.This is how you can charge more without losing clients or getting rejected.This is how you make your clients SO happy that they refer all their friends to you.This is how you become more attractive to your "dream clients".And this framework comes from a business owner earning over $100,000,000 per year... so you know this stuff works.Today's episode breaks down the 4 BEST ways to become more valuable, and if you get this right, you'll completely transform how you show up to clients.99% of the freelancers I know neglect all 4 of these areas to their own detriment. As a result, they're losing gigs to their competitors, they get constant pushback on pricing, and they're not generating nearly enough referrals to keep their calendars full.In this episode you’ll discover: Focusing on the end goal, not the short term The value exchange The importance of social proof and perceived likelihood of achievement How to close bigger deals How time delay affects pricing and client acquisition The expert wins: why experts get the job 9 times out of 10 Why adding friction is a recipe for losing clients For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/213

Answer this: What have you done this week to bring in new clients? 99% of freelancers would say "uhhhh....." and proceed to stare at me blankly with a distant look in their eyes.The sad reality is that most creatives sit around and wait for clients to find them. This is perfectly OK if your business is at the point where you're 100% booked up for the next 6 months with nothing but your ideal clients.For the rest of us, we have to put in work to fill our calendars.On this week's episode of the 6 Figure Creative Podcast, I interviewed Ian Paget of Logo Geek. Ian has done a lot over the years to bring in clients as a freelancer.He's executed multiple growth hacks in his business, which lead to over 90,000 followers on social media. He then used that following to launch one of the top design podcasts (despite being a total introvert).Ian is the master of taking "imperfect action", and he's proven over and over again that anyone can face their fears and get out of their comfort zones in order to bring in new clients to their freelance business. In this episode you’ll discover: How Ian pivoted from employee to freelancer Growth hacking social media The importance of engaging your audience Overcoming the fears holding you back Stumbling into success The tech needed to start a podcast Launching a podcast with a massive guest For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/212

You're finally out on your own as a freelancer... no more bosses, offices, fluorescent lights, and no more commute. 🥳That also means you're now responsible for your own survival. No more regular paychecks, retirement accounts, paid time off, or coworkers who can cover for you.Do you have all of the skills that it takes to make survive as a freelancer? If not, this is going to be a rough ride on the entrepreneurial roller coaster...On this episode of 6 Figure Creative, I sat down to talk to Sarah Townsend, the author of "Survival Skills for Freelancers". She broke down the skills she had to develop to survive (and thrive) for the past 2 years as a freelancer.In this episode you’ll discover: The importance of saying no How to politely turn down a lead Why working with the wrong people hurts you more than you think Coping with self-doubt - you're not alone How social media can be positive or negative for freelancers Picking the right social media platforms for you Managing your social media presence effectively Why you shouldn't expect your followers to know who you are How to focus on work as a freelancer Separating personal and work time For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/211

If you struggle with low self-worth, perfectionism, procrastination, or self-doubt, then you might be making the mistake of letting fear into the driver's seat of your business.Fear is a plague in our creative community.So many of us let fear... drive our rates down to pitiful levels (and keep us from ever raising them) drive us working extra hours for free (so we don't "ruffle feathers" by asking to be compensated) drive us to keep tweaking things for hours until they're "perfect" (even though there's no such thing as perfection) trap us in a state of perpetual procrastination for all of those big things we know will push our business forward It probably sounds obvious that fear is a terrible thing for you and your business, yet so many of us keep allowing fear to drive us every single day. That's why I wanted to bring on someone who's literally written the book on this. The author of "Feck Perfuction" is a world-renowned artist named James Victore.You may have seen his work in The Louvre or the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and I think it goes without saying that you don't make it to that level as a creative without annihilating fear.James has managed to break free of fear and build an incredible name for himself, and this episode dives into his process for what he does when the "fear demon" tries to sit on his shoulders and tell him how to live his life.In this episode you’ll discover: The importance of overcoming your fears Perfection and procrastination: your silent enemies How to get over our physical and mental ailments How childhood trauma, no matter how mild, affects your life/business Learning how to love yourself Finding clients who fit what you want to create Why failing more is good Taking risks to make your work stand out For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/210

Are you one of those bland, boring, vanilla freelancers who are trying to appeal to everyone? Are you terrified of the thought of offending someone or pushing away "potential" clients?The problem with being a "Vanilla Freelancer" that is you're invisible to the vast majority of people because you have nothing interesting to say, and you likely stand for nothing. You're not alone. There's a massive chunk of the creative world that's fallen into the trap of trying to appeal to everyone, and instead, you appeal to absolutely no one.Why would I choose to work with you when there's someone who specializes in exactly what I'm looking for?Why would I pick your plain vanilla business over another one that perfectly aligns with my values?The irony is that you're costing yourself clients who would be perfect for you simply because you're too afraid to stand out.The result is you get the bottom-of-the-barrel clients who were rejected by all the specialists who decided to choose a niche and own it.Many industries have figured this out, but somehow we creatives seem to latch onto the bland, boring, and vanilla.That's why I wanted to bring on Micah Woods to talk about his non-traditional niche.Micah is a branding and web designer who's forged his own path with a unique niche I haven't seen from any other freelancer, and it's done wonders for his business.Not only has it attracted his ideal clients to him, but it's also allowed him to reliably repel the worst types of clients for his business.The result is that he's able to enjoy a quiet, peaceful, blue ocean in the branding and design world while others are fighting for scraps in the red ocean of bland vanilla creatives.You do not want to miss this week's episode, so set time aside to listen ASAP.In this episode you’ll discover: The impact of knowing you're about to lose your job Why you shouldn't care if you're "bothering" people It's all a matter of timing: cold outreach Choosing your niche before you start your business Launching a business and getting traction right away How you can get clients with a small social media presence Thriving in a blue ocean The value of paying others to handle tasks for you For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/209

Have you obsessively perfected every single step of what your clients experience before, during, and after working with you?Most of the struggling freelancers I know have failed to do this, and it's costing them client, after client, after client, that they could have otherwise gained.The reason should be obvious: clients might forget the details of what it was like to work with you, but they will never forget how you made them feel.If you create a frustrating experience for them, you'll forever be remembered as "that one person who was incredibly frustrating to work with".If you create a confusing experience, they'll remember how they always felt lost during their experience with you.All of the most successful business owners I know have put tons of time, effort, and energy into perfecting their client experience for every single project.A well-executed client experience means happier clients, more referrals, more repeat projects, and an overall better reputation for your business.This is what my guest Nicholas Di Lorenzo has obsessed over in his business. He's built a fantastic client experience that has kept him booked solid in one of the most notoriously difficult business models in the audio industry.In this episode you’ll discover: The advantages of starting as someone's assistant How to grow your own business after working for someone else Finding the techniques that stick Making your clients' life as easy as possible Keeping your workspace clean to help focus Freeing up time to explore new areas of your business How bad (or no) systems can cost opportunities For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/208