6 Figure Creative

Every successful freelancer has hit that wall where you can't say yes to even ONE more project...this is usually the same time you start getting more inquiries than you've ever seen before.

In these busy seasons of business, there are a few options you could take...

If you hate money, you'll probably take option 1 and turn down those extra projects. If you're irresponsible and want to live in a state of overwhelm, you'll take option 2.

If you're a responsible, mature business owner, you'll go with option 3 and build systems that help you deliver high-quality work faster, more efficiently, and without dropping the ball or overwhelming yourself.

In this week's episode of the 6 Figure Creative Podcast, I interviewed systems expert Rachael Mueller. She's a virtual COO that helps service-based business owners plan, create, and manage systems that scale so you can take on more projects in less time.

If you're overwhelmed, working too much, or just feel like you have WAY too many project details floating around in your brain, and you're not sure what to do, this episode is for you.

In this episode you’ll discover:

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/220

In this episode, Colleen Welsch breaks down the cold outreach process she used to land some of the biggest brands in the beauty industry.

This email process can work in any industry to start bringing in consistent clients no matter how much experience you have.

If you've ever wanted to see a proven process for cold outreach, this interview is for you.

In this episode you’ll discover:

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/219

The most difficult part of freelancing is attracting high-quality clients to you (especially early in your career).

Most people resort to two main "desperation tactics" when their schedules thin out...

Desperation Tactic 1: They start sending cold emails/DMs to people who don't have any idea who they are.

Desperation Tactic 2: They start publishing desperate-looking "hire me" posts on their socials. Things like "50% off THIS MONTH ONLY. HMU".

While they're chasing leads down like a starving troglodyte desperately hunting for food, there's a better way to market your business as a creative.

So what's the better way? That's what Chris Smith—our guest this week—wrote the book on...

While the book is called "The Conversion Code", the tagline says it all: "Stop chasing leads and start attracting clients".

No one wants to be "hunted", but most people want to be attracted to something/someone.

In this episode, Chris breaks down how to use social media to start attracting more clients instead of resorting to desperation tactics.

In this episode you’ll discover:

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/218

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:

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:

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.

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/211