6 Figure Creative

We’ve all hit the point in our lives when we’ve faced this question. “Should I just quit?”Whether you’re considering giving up on your entire business, or you’re simply considering quitting a new approach to marketing you’ve been trying out, it can be difficult to keep going when stuff gets hard. So should you give up and go back to the way things were when it was “easier”? Should you push forward and keep trying even when everything sucks? That’s what I discuss in this week’s super short podcast episode.For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/173

I love learning about people who are earning 6 figures in a relatively obscure niche… especially when they’ve grown that business to where it is in just a few short years. Sean Oblizalo has built an incredibly successful adventure elopement photography business. If you’ve never heard of that before, you’re not alone. While elopement photography may be relatively obscure, what isn’t obscure are the strategies he used to build his business to 6 figures in such a relatively short amount of time. This interview is a gold mine for any freelancer who’s struggling to get website traffic, leads, or clients. In this episode you’ll discover: How Sean built a six-figure business in just three years What inspired Sean’s unique business idea How you can harness the power of SEO for your business Why Facebook ads aren’t for everyone Why incredible copywriting is crucial for your website How to get incredible copy even if you’re a terrible writer Why systems and processes are crucial for building trust with your clients The hidden benefits of building trust with your clients For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/172

Do you run a successful business, but find yourself stressed out about finances?Does it affect your creativity to the point that you aren’t making your projects the absolute best?If your finances are a shambles, chances are your business isn’t very stable, and neither is your personal life. It’s time to make a change.A big welcome back to Graham Cochrane of The Graham Cochrane Show as he talks about potential solutions and fail-safes to make sure that you can survive difficult times in your business and come out the other end swinging!In this episode you’ll discover: Why service-based businesses should have some scaleable income streams How a retainer model can boost your business’ income What opportunities overwhelmed consumers provide How eliminating your fear can make you bolder, to take good opportunities and leave behind mediocre ones Why poor personal finance is the downfall of many businesses How trading up cars and paying car payments to yourself can buy you a new car in the long run How growing your business too much can hurt your family, creativity, or life How you can start to safely save money for retirement, as well as keep you – and your business – alive during spare months Why you should discuss financial priorities with your family to see if you are overspending or can cut back For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/171

Please tell me you’ve never been this person...“Hey.”“How’s it going?”“U there? lol.”“Hello?!?!?”That’s the person who makes everyone cringe when they’re around. If that’s you, I hate to say it, but there’s a reason everyone ignores you. On the other side of things, if you’re the type of person who never follows up with anyone then you’re leaving half your potential income behind. Following up is an important part of business, but as with almost everything in life there’s a tactful, professional way to do it and then there’s a desperate, needy, cringey way to do it.  On this episode of 6 Figure Creative, Brian Hood and substitute co-host Mark Eckert talk about the 5 types of follow-ups that can help double your income over the next 12 months. In this episode you’ll discover: Why you should follow up with people How to follow up properly in 5 different situations What to use as your subject line for email follow ups How to nurture relationships by following up Why being pushy or nudgy is not the way to follow up How to get introductions to the right people Why speaking in a polite and political manner helps in follow ups How to use your network to grow your network When to offer people money in exchange for their time For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/170

If there was a way to shift your freelance business in a way that consistently led to higher income, fewer hours, and more predictability, would you be interested in hearing more? This is exactly what Brian Casel did with his business.He created a productized service that allowed him to hire a team to remove most of the work from his plate to the point where he was spending less than 2 hours per month on that business. The best part is that his clients were paying him a flat fee every single month, which meant he had predictable, recurring revenue. Whether or not you ever want to run your business this way, this interview is a must-watch for anyone looking to grow their income.In this episode you’ll discover: What it’s like to launch, grow, and sell a business How to create a scalable business that runs without you Why having a productized service is a smart move for freelancers How to provide a service you have no experience with Why it’s important to choose an industry you’re passionate about How to build a business that runs on autopilot What to do when you find extra time because your business runs autonomously How to hire the right people For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/169

If you build healthy habits and routines in your life, you will always win over someone who waits around for motivation to get things done. Atomic Habits is one of our all-time favorite books, so we dedicated this episode to discussing some of our favorite takeaways from the book and how it all applies to someone who is freelancing.Listen now to learn about building healthy habits, eliminating unhealthy habits, and how something called a “Systems Snowball” can help along the way.In this episode you’ll discover: How Brian and Chris make the most of their reading experience The pros and cons of Kindle Why habits are such an important part of our day to day lives Why small habits matter the most How to build your systems snowball What to do if you aren’t a goal-oriented person How to view lagging vs. leading indicators of your habits How systems have shaped humanity Why it’s important to forge ahead even when you can’t see progress For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/168

If you’re getting overwhelmed with the day-to-day tasks of your business, it’s probably time to hire someone who can help you out.You’ve probably even considered it in the past, but you have doubts that have held you back… “What if they can’t do it as well as I can?” “What if I hire the wrong person?” “It will take forever to train them”. “I don’t want to be someone else’s boss”.  “Can I really afford this”? If you’re ever had these thoughts, you’re perfectly normal. These are the same doubts we all have before making our first hire. Whether you’ve tried (and failed) at hiring someone in the past, you’re just now planning to make your first hire, or you’re interested in hiring help, but not totally convinced it’s the right move, this episode is perfect for you.In this episode you’ll discover: How an assistant can transform your business Which tasks should be delegated first How an assistant can help you take a “workation” How to hire the right person for the job How setting expectations affects your working relationship How to make sure your assistant does everything exactly how you want For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/167

If you rely solely on referrals to fuel your business, you’re making one of the most common mistakes a freelancer can make. This puts the fate of your business entirely into the hands of your clients. They determine when (or if) you get your next client.Instead of living in the constant cycle of feast or famine, Mike Michalowicz shares a way to keep the “marketing machine” running 24/7 to help you attract the best possible clients.This simple 3-step method is all about being different instead of just being “better”. Mike is a New York Times bestselling author with over 2 million readers. His life-changing books like The Pumpkin Plan and Profit First have transformed the lives of countless entrepreneurs. Listen now to learn how to stand out from the crowd, and start bringing in more clients by being different.In this episode you’ll discover: Why word of mouth is not a marketing plan How you can achieve consistent results from marketing What three methods you can use to get attention How to find your ideal customers What makes you stand out from your competition Why you should rip off and duplicate other industries How to apply the DAD method to your business (no puns involved) Why a marketing plan comes from marketing experiments How to come up with creative marketing ideas For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/166

It’s time to kill hourly pricing once and for all.While many freelancers think hourly billing is a fair method, it’s actually the least fair method for pricing your work. Hourly pricing leads to an immediate conflict of interest between you and your clients, and it puts very little consideration for the value of whatever it is that you do. You are much much more than a bundle of hours for sale. You’re a creative offering something valuable in this world.I’m not the only one that thinks this is the case…Our podcast guest this week is Mike McDerment – the founder and CEO of a 10-figure business. His advice to the 6-figure creative community is this: It’s time to break the time barrier and start charging based on the value you create. This week’s interview is an eye-opening look at why we should quit charging per hour or day, and instead charge a flat rate based on the outcome we deliver to our clients. In this episode you’ll discover: How Mike went from freelancing to running a business worth over 1 billion dollars How freelancing has changed in the past two decades Why you should bill per project, not by the hour How you can determine what a client wants Why some clients aren’t worth it What to do if someone offers to pay you a million dollars per hour How different clients see value in different things For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/165

Austin Hull was one of our most popular interviews (way back on episode 59), so we had to bring him back onto the podcast to update us on what he’s been up to. Since 2019 Austin has not only built a six-figure freelance music production business but also sold over $400k of digital products through his new business Make Pop Music. In this episode, learn how Austin took the stair-step approach from freelance to passive income, built his email list to over 40,000 people, and YouTube channel to over 100k subs in such a short time. If you’re thinking about launching a side-hustle that could eventually turn into an extra six-figure income, this episode is perfect for you. Keep in mind, this wasn’t exactly a walk in the park for Austin. At one point, he was on the brink of a mental breakdown. He was working long hours without breaks, trying to juggle multiple projects, and constantly switching from task to task… all in an effort to keep everyone else happy. Austin decided it was time for a change, and applied the 80/20 principle to niche down on what was most important to him… And the results were game-changing.In this episode you’ll discover: How Austin grew multiple six figure businesses in a few short years without any ads Why communities are important to organic growth What happened when Austin finally niched down Why it’s important to recognize when you’re overworking yourself How exercise ties into mental health How to make new connections to grow your business Why the go-giver mindset is a common theme among most successful entrepreneurs What platforms you can use for organic growth For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/164