Most experts assume the hardest part of building a platform is the skill. It is not. It is the moment you decide to charge for the work closest to your heart. Christine Hakkola built a multi six figure coaching company, sold it, and built again, and she still says charging for the first time was shocking, terrifying, and overwhelming. In this conversation she breaks down the idea of the responsible risk, the small, survivable step that carries you from invisible to found, and why your passion is the very thing that makes putting a price on your work feel dangerous.

➡️ FREE CONTENT CLARITY AUDIT https://link.1898creative.com/widget/bookings/1898-creative/audit

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

⚡️ The fear of being seen does not vanish when you succeed, it just gets easier to recognize as a liar

⚡️ Charging for the work closest to your heart is uniquely vulnerable because failing feels like failing at the thing you love most

⚡️ A responsible risk is small enough to survive being wrong and real enough that being right counts

⚡️ Big businesses are built from a series of responsible risks, not one giant leap

⚡️ Hearing your struggle named by a peer can be more powerful than hearing it from an expert

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 — The fear that never goes away

01:00 — Why peers change everything

01:49 — Starting to charge for the first time

02:43 — Shocking, terrifying, overwhelming

03:12 — The 250 dollar Facebook post

04:38 — The light bulb moment, and the fear that followed

05:35 — Why charging for what you love is so vulnerable

07:28 — Taking a responsible risk

08:54 — Building and selling a business, one risk at a time

09:23 — Hitting the first domino

CONNECT WITH US:

Website: https://1898creative.com

Darren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenandrewcooper

CONNECT WITH CHRISTINE HAKKOLAH:

Website: hakkolahorizons.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-hakkola

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HASHTAGS:

#createyourart #responsiblerisk #coachingbusiness #imposter #findable #thoughtleadership #expertvisibility

Most skilled experts believe the same quiet lie: that one more credential, one more certification, one more course will finally make them feel ready to charge, to be visible, to put themselves out there. In this episode, Darren sits down with Christine Hakkola, who built a six-figure therapy practice and then a coaching company that served more than 6,000 practitioners, to take that lie apart. You will hear the Facebook post that terrified her, the $250 offer that filled in 24 hours, why she threw out the phrase "charge what you're worth," and the reframe that protects service providers from burnout.

➡️ FREE CONTENT CLARITY AUDIT https://link.1898creative.com/widget/bookings/1898-creative/audit

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

⚡️ Confidence is built by having the courage to act, not by collecting credentials first

⚡️ The credential loop is a mask for the fear of being visible

⚡️ Stop asking "what am I worth" and start asking "what price makes this sustainable"

⚡️ Reverse-engineer your price from the life you need to fund, then design the offer around it ⚡️ The strategy that will grow your business probably already exists inside it: identify, systematize, amplify

⚡️ Most successful businesses feel boring to run, and boring is what builds profit

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 — Cold open

00:42 — Welcome and Christine's story

02:49 — Who Hakkola Horizons serves and why

04:39 — The mindset blocks that keep founders small

06:24 — Falling into business without realizing it

11:11 — The curse of knowledge and the credential trap

14:45 — Confidence comes from courage, not credentials

20:28 — The Facebook post that terrified her

23:25 — Why charging for what you love is so vulnerable

25:08 — Responsible risk and the power of baby steps

28:54 — Why "charge what you're worth" is the wrong question

35:55 — The three stages where founders burn out

40:23 — The strategy already inside your business

45:12 — Encouragement for anyone on the brink

48:33 — Where to find Christine

CONNECT WITH US:

👉🏻 Website: https://1898creative.com

👉🏻 Darren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenandrewcooper

CONNECT WITH CHRISTINE HAKKOLAH:

Website: hakkolahorizons.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-hakkola

If this episode helped you, please:

⬇️ Drop your "art" in the comments — what's the thing you're here to create?

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HASHTAGS:

#createyourart #businesscoaching #impostersyndrome #servicebusiness #pricingstrategy #womenfounders #entrepreneurship

This week was heavy, and Dustin Pead met it with one of the most grounded pictures of courage I have heard in a long time. We get into the difference between the fear that runs your life and the fear you actually respect, why you should plant something even when you do not know what will grow, and the image that stuck with me most, the buffalo that runs straight into the storm because the fastest way out is through. If you are in a hard season and tempted to shrink back, this one is for you.

FREE CONTENT CLARITY AUDIT https://link.1898creative.com/widget/bookings/1898-creative/audit

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

⚡️ There is a fear that breaks you and a fear you respect. Learn to dance with the second one.

⚡️ When you are in a new field and do not know what to plant, plant anyway. You learn from what grows.

⚡️ Quitting is the only guaranteed outcome. Going through the storm is the only path that leaves room for a different one.

⚡️ The pull you feel to create is not an accident. It is how you were wired.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 — The fear that runs you vs the fear you respect

1:25 — Work hard and trust God

2:00 — When you do not know what to plant, plant anyway

3:23 — The only way through the valley is to keep walking

5:17 — Why the buffalo runs at the storm

6:45 — The guaranteed outcome of quitting

7:38 — You were wired to create, so go down swinging

CONNECT WITH US:

👉🏻 Website: https://1898creative.com

👉🏻 Darren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenandrewcooper

👉🏻 Dustin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dustinpead

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HASHTAGS:

#createyourart #1898creative #networking #careerpivot #smallbusiness #entrepreneurship

Twenty years of creative ministry ended for Dustin Pead on a single Friday. By Monday, the reality of a wife, kids, and a mortgage was staring him down. In this segment, Dustin walks Darren through how he rebuilt his livelihood from nothing, using the one asset he already had and had never thought to count: his contacts list. It is a story about the difference between simple and easy, the network you build without trying, and what it actually takes to start asking.

FREE CONTENT CLARITY AUDIT https://link.1898creative.com/widget/bookings/1898-creative/audit

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

⚡️ The move that saves you is rarely a new tactic. It is usually the relationships you already have. Your network is an asset you build slowly, long before the day you need it.

⚡️ Reaching out is simple but not easy, because it means admitting you need something.

⚡️ Working your contacts list on purpose, a few times a year, compounds over time.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 — Twenty years ended on a Friday

0:30 — The two questions that started everything

1:00 — The phone call that opened the first door

1:48 — Simple, but not easy

2:37 — Where the instinct to connect came from

4:01 — The friend who coached him free for a year

5:00 — Building a creatives meetup from a contacts list

5:58 — How to work the list with intention

7:26 — The scariest part, fear of losing the house

8:25 — The day job search and the nonprofit bridge

9:17 — The friend who covered the mortgage

CONNECT WITH US:

👉🏻 Website: https://1898creative.com

👉🏻 Darren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenandrewcooper

👉🏻 Dustin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dustinpead

If this story moved you, please:

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HASHTAGS:

#createyourart #1898creative #networking #careerpivot #smallbusiness #entrepreneurship

Dustin Pead spent twenty years in creative ministry before that chapter ended in a way he never chose. With a wife, kids, a mortgage, and no plan, he rebuilt his career one phone contact at a time. He shares the question that became his catalyst, why he runs toward fear instead of away from it, and the purpose statement that keeps him steady on the hard days. This is a story about starting over with nothing but the one thing you are already good at.

FREE CONTENT CLARITY AUDIT: https://link.1898creative.com/widget/bookings/1898-creative/audit

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

⚡️Start with what you are already good at, not what you wish you were good at

⚡️Your existing contacts are the cheapest and warmest place to begin again

⚡️The fastest way out of a storm is straight through it

⚡️Separate the calling, which is settled, from the capability, which you rebuild daily

⚡️Systems, not last minute hustle, are what make excellence repeatable

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 — The night he thought he would lose the house

00:39 — Welcome to Create Your Art

01:30 — Putting the co-host in the guest seat

02:24 — Twenty years in creative ministry

06:35 — The slow build of discontentment

09:50 — Pushed out of the boat

12:34 — The Rolodex that restarted everything

19:41 — What he was really afraid of

22:17 — A word from 1898 Creative

23:00 — Learning to dance with fear

27:38 — The buffalo and the storm

29:21 — Did he ever regret it

35:00 — What he does on the days he doubts himself

37:45 — Chief Creative Partners and the power of systems

44:15 — Different impact, not lesser impact

45:50 — His purpose statement

46:30 — Where to find Dustin

48:34 — Create your art

CONNECT WITH US:

👉🏻 Website: https://1898creative.com

👉🏻 Darren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenandrewcooper

👉🏻 Dustin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dustinpead

If this episode helped you, please:

⬇️ Drop your "art" in the comments — what's the thing you're here to create?

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HASHTAGS:

#createyourart #entrepreneurship #faithandwork #creativebusiness #startingover

Sean Kirby grew up with a clock in his family firm's logo and never knew why. When he finally asked his dad, the answer reframed his entire approach to wealth: time is the only asset you can't buy more of. In this conversation, Darren Cooper and Sean unpack how one buried idea changed the questions he asks clients, why he's trying to hand a seven-day-a-week business owner his life back, and what it actually means to be an artist even in the financial field.

FREE CONTENT CLARITY AUDIT: https://link.1898creative.com/widget/bookings/1898-creative/audit

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

⚡️ Your most valuable idea is usually hidden in plain sight, unspoken because it feels obvious to you

⚡️ Where do you want to be" beats "how do I save on taxes" every time

⚡️ Real wealth gets measured in time and presence, not only in dollars

⚡️ The first hundred thousand (and the first deposits of any kind) are always the hardest

⚡️Imposter syndrome usually signals you're moving in the right direction, not the wrong one

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 — The clock hiding in the logo

01:00 — Time is the only asset you can't buy more of

02:00 — Becoming a guide, not just an advisor

03:10 — Reframing money around the next twenty years

03:50 — The client who does everything himself

06:10 — Bigger than saving dollars

06:40 — Are financial advisors artists

07:10 — Imposter syndrome and the game of doubles

08:10 — It's not about me

CONNECT WITH US:

👉🏻 Website: https://1898creative.com

👉🏻 Darren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenandrewcooper

👉🏻 Dustin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dustinpead

CONNECT WITH SEAN:

👉🏻 Email: [email protected]

👉🏻 Website: https://performance.financial/

👉🏻 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PerformanceGroupIN

If this episode helped you, please:

⬇️ Drop your "art" in the comments — what's the thing you're here to create?

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HASHTAGS:

#createyourart #financialadvisor #timefreedom #thoughtleadership #podcast #wealthbuilding

He spent his twenties chasing a million dollars by thirty. He got four kids instead. In this conversation, financial advisor Sean Kirby breaks down why time, not money, is the only asset you cannot buy more of. He walks through the exact goal sheet he uses with clients to stop lifestyle creep, build a real scoreboard, and decide on purpose where your life is actually going. If you have ever hit a number and felt nothing, this one is for you.

FREE CONTENT CLARITY AUDIT: https://link.1898creative.com/widget/bookings/1898-creative/audit

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

⚡️Time is the only asset you cannot buy more of, and most people never act like it

⚡️Run a yearly self assessment wheel before you ever touch a budget

⚡️Your net worth statement is a scoreboard, and most people are losing without knowing it

⚡️Give every dollar a job before lifestyle inflation gives it one

⚡️You can automate money, but the daily deposit into health, faith, and family is on you

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 — The millionaire goal that changed

00:31 — Why "invest your time wisely" became the mantra

05:45 — The clock in the logo, and the question nobody asked

14:16 — Three practical first steps, starting with a budget

16:36 — The fishbowl problem and lifestyle inflation

21:53 — A word from 1898 Creative

22:18 — The goal sheet, step by step

23:42 — The self assessment wheel

25:32 — How to do a net worth statement

27:41 — The richest guy at the airport

29:38 — Your wins are not worth what they cost

34:48 — Why "peace" is now the goal at the top of the list

41:21 — The two year gap and the imposter syndrome

47:23 — It is not about the 99, it is about the one

52:27 — Three things to remember

CONNECT WITH US:

👉🏻 Website: https://1898creative.com

👉🏻 Darren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenandrewcooper

👉🏻 Dustin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dustinpead

CONNECT WITH SEAN KIRBY:

Website: https://performance.financial/

If this episode helped you, please:

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HASHTAGS:

#createyourart #investyourtimewisely #financialfreedom #goalsetting #netbeforegross #podcast #thoughtleadership

Most high-achieving men are carrying something nobody around them knows about. The failed exit. The marriage on fire. The financial hit. The faith that has gone quiet. In this video of The Create Your Art Podcast, Matt opens up about the 2018 exit that wiped him out, the one line in the contract that his lawyer missed, and the part of the story he is most ashamed of, that he did not tell a single person what really happened. Darren and Matt unpack why high achievers refuse to ask for help, why traditional manhood got buried under the toxic masculinity conversation, and the one move that actually changed everything. If you are a high achiever carrying something right now, this conversation is for you.FREE CONTENT CLARITY AUDIT: https://link.1898creative.com/widget/bookings/1898-creative/auditKEY TAKEAWAYS:⚡️ One line in an exit contract can cost you two years of profit. Take a multiple, never take a percentage of profit. ⚡️ Every high-achieving man you know is carrying something. The question is whether he has anyone to tell. ⚡️ The instinct that built you (handle it, do not flinch) is the same instinct that traps you when you finally need help.⚡️ Looking strong and being strong are not the same thing. One of them costs you the next decade.⚡️The growth only starts on the other side of saying the actual words out loud to one real person.TIMESTAMPS:0:00 — The moment that broke everything 0:30 — The one line in the contract 2:25 — Why he hid the truth from his closest mentor 4:20 — Darren on rebuilding after the collapse 5:45 — Why high achievers cannot ask for help 8:30 — The growth that only comes from reaching across the tableCONNECT WITH US:👉🏻 Website: https://1898creative.com👉🏻 Darren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenandrewcooper👉🏻 Dustin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dustinpeadIf this episode helped you, please:⬇️ Drop your "art" in the comments — what's the thing you're here to create?✅ Subscribe for weekly conversations with industry artists📲 Share with a fellow creator who needs to hear thisHASHTAGS:#createyourart #highachievers #vulnerability #entrepreneurship #mensmentalhealth #businesspodcast #leadership #mentorship #lighthousebrotherhood #businessfailure

Most high-achieving men have an operating system for their business and no system at all for their family. Matt Balducci built two multi-million-dollar companies, lost a major exit in 2018 because of one line in a contract, and almost lost his marriage along the way. He's now launching the Lighthouse Brotherhood for high-achieving men who are crushing it at work and quietly falling apart at home.

In this conversation, Darren Cooper and Matt break down the silence that costs successful men their families, the quarterly family meeting that saved Matt's marriage, the daddy-daughter date when his seven-year-old picked out her own dress, and the one fear Matt says drives everything he does as a father. If you've been carrying it alone, this is the episode for you.

FREE CONTENT CLARITY AUDIT: https://link.1898creative.com/widget/bookings/1898-creative/audit

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

⚡️ The silence high-achievers carry costs them their marriages before it costs them anything else

⚡️ You can wing your business and survive. You cannot wing your family and survive.

⚡️ A quarterly one-hour family meeting can change a marriage faster than any retreat

⚡️ Thirty minutes a night with your phone in a different room beats two hours with it nearby

⚡️ The ROI of intentional time at home is not subtracted from your business, it's invested in it

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 — Cold open

00:29 — What is the Lighthouse Brotherhood

05:32 — The 2018 exit that cost him everything

08:23 — Why he didn't tell anyone the business failed

11:48 — The men's group every high-achiever needs

15:08 — Practical step one if you're struggling right now

18:50 — We wing our marriages, we wing being a father

22:42 — 1898 Creative break

23:33 — Why no one builds an operating system for their family

25:23 — The thirty-minute phone rule

28:21 — The one fear Matt carries as a dad

29:24 — The quarterly family meeting that changed his marriage

31:33 — The ROI of joy

36:32 — The daddy-daughter date and the dress

41:20 — How his dad broke the generational curse

43:34 — The vision of being eighty years old at a table with your brothers

47:43 — Where to find the Lighthouse Brotherhood

CONNECT WITH US:

👉🏻 Website: https://1898creative.com

👉🏻 Darren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenandrewcooper

CONNECT WITH MATT BULDUCCI:

Lighthouse Brotherhood: https://lighthousebh.co

YouTube: https:  @lighthousebhco 

If this episode helped you, please:

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HASHTAGS:

#createyourart #mensbrotherhood #highachiever #fatherhood #leadership #christianentrepreneur #mensgroup #familyfirst #1898creative #thoughtleadership

There's one quiet test that determines whether you're creating art in your work or just collecting paychecks: if you stopped tomorrow, would anyone be different because you were there? In this video from Episode 19 of the Create Your Art Podcast, Darren Cooper tells the story of Mrs. T, the eighth-grade biology teacher who accidentally taught him everything he knows about mastery. As well as his CPA dad, who was secretly one of the most important artists he's ever known. Co-host Dustin Pead chimes in with his own Mr. Cummings story.

This is the heartbeat behind why the show is now called Create Your Art. If you've ever felt like the word "artist" wasn't for you, this is the segment to start with.

FREE CONTENT CLARITY AUDIT: https://link.1898creative.com/widget/bookings/1898-creative/audit

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

⚡️ The art is always the part of you that wasn't required by the job description

⚡️ Anyone can transmit information, artists transmit conviction

⚡️ A CPA who treats accounting as a craft creates more art than ten "creatives" who clock in

⚡️ You don't need a different job — you need to stop showing up to this one as a clock-puncher

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 — The heart behind the Create Your Art mission

00:57 — Mrs. T and the leaf moment

02:22 — Why Mrs. T was an artist with biology as her medium

02:25 — The CPA dad story

03:21 — How "boring" work funded a business and missions

03:52 — Dustin's Mr. Cummings story

05:41 — You as the listener — what's *your* art?

06:08 — Welcome to the Create Your Art Podcast

07:06 — Get off the sidelines and into the game

08:32 — The clock-puncher counterfactual

CONNECT WITH US:

👉🏻 Website: https://1898creative.com

👉🏻 Darren's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrenandrewcooper

👉🏻 Dustin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dustinpead

If this episode helped you, please:

⬇️ Drop your "art" in the comments — what's the thing you're here to create?

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HASHTAGS:

#createyourart #mastery #personalbrand #leadership #craft #coachesandconsultants #creativebusiness #1898creative #findyourart #creatorjourney #creatorjourney #contentcreation