Ditching Hourly

Geraldine Carter and I swapped interviews about why niching down doesn't lead to boredom. 

Geraldine's Links:

• Geraldine's website
• Geraldine's newsletter
• Geraldine's podcast

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Before you go!

The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing email course.

Hope to see you there!

Tim Dietrich and Eric Grubaugh invited me to join them on SuiteScript Stories to talk about the pros and cons of a platform specialization, the paradox of positioning, and, of course, the horrors of hourly billing.

Tim and Eric were kind enough to let me post the interview here on Ditching Hourly, but if you're a NetSuite developer, you should check out their podcast at https://suitescriptstories.com/ 

We discuss:

• Jonathan's and Tim's shared history in the FileMaker Pro space
• Jonathan's AHA moment when he realized hourly billing was killing his business
• The misaligned financial incentives created by hourly billing
• How specializing in a narrower target market amplifies your opportunities
• The various forms of specialization: Vertical, Horizontal, Platform
• The obstacles an agency faces when trying to specialize

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Before you go!

The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing email course.

Hope to see you there!

Indie game consultant Joe Quadara (aka Joe Q) joined me on Ditching Hourly to share his journey from putting out fires for indie game studios to advising them to accurately scope and fund their projects.

Joe's Links:

• Joe's website: Recurver
• Joe on LinkedIn 

AI Summary:

In this episode, game developer turned consultant Joe Quidara shares his journey from putting out fires for game studios to helping studios accurately scope and fund their projects. He explains how developing deep expertise about the indie game industry allows him to quickly assess and advise studios, creating leverage in his consulting business.

Chapters:

[00:00:00] Introductions

[00:07:00] The size of the video game market

[00:10:00] What is indie game consulting?

[00:14:00] The appeal of weird, indie games 

[00:19:00] What an indie game studio looks like

[00:23:00] From firefighting to preventing fires in game studios  

[00:28:00] Helping studios accurately scope and fund projects

[00:32:00] Creating a sustainable indie game studio model 

[00:35:00] Leveraging expertise to streamline the consulting process

[00:41:00] The benefits of specialization for consultants

[00:46:00] Keeping an open mind while leveraging expertise  

[00:48:00] Conclusion

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Before you go!

The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing email course.

Hope to see you there!

Bryghtpath CEO and Ditcherville lifetime resident Bryan Strawser joined me on Ditching Hourly to share the secrets behind his huge business wins in 2023.

Bryan's Links:

• Website: https://bryghtpath.com/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Bryghtpath
• Podcast: https://bryghtpath.com/resources/managing-uncertainty-podcast/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanstrawser/

Summary (ai generated):

In this episode of Ditching Hourly, Jonathan Stark interviews Bryan Strausser of BrightPath about how positioning his consulting firm and using program evaluation "roadmaps" as a first engagement with clients has led to major growth and 7-figure revenue. They discuss Bryan's journey from generalist consultant to focused niche positioning, using content marketing and authority building to attract ideal clients, the roadmapping process to diagnose client needs before prescribing solutions, how to price and sell high-value services, and building ongoing managed services for recurring revenue. 

Chapters:

[00:00:00] Introduction 

[00:02:00] From generalist to focused positioning

[00:08:00] Attracting clients through content marketing 

[00:13:00] Client onboarding with program evaluation roadmaps

[00:21:00] Using the podcast to build authority 

[00:25:00] The importance of positioning

[00:28:00] Pricing and selling high-value services 

[00:36:00] The roadmapping sales process

[00:44:00] Writing effective proposals 

[00:51:00] Increasing profits through pricing 

[00:53:00] Growing through managed services

[00:56:00] Conclusion

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Before you go!

The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing email course.

Hope to see you there!

The Real Reason You Started A Business

You started a business to help people - and you do help people! - but let’s be honest... you could help people as an employee working for someone else.

The real reason you started a business was for the freedom.

The freedom of doing what you want, when you want, where you want, with whom you want.

So, if you’ve been running your business for a while, but the freedom just hasn’t come yet, I have something that might help.

Get your freedom without compromising your business success

Folks often ask how I can possibly maintain...

...all completely on my own without a single employee or VA or anything.

I know it seems like I must be working all the time, but the reality is that I get all this done in just a few hours per week.

Most weeks, it feels like I spend more time at karate and the gym than doing anything work-related.

Heck, I recently took the kids to Disney World for a week, and my business output didn’t miss a beat.

Go behind-the-scenes

If you’ve ever wondered how I sustain such a high level of productivity year after year, you’re in luck.

On Thursday, December 7th, 2023 at 1:00pm ET, I am giving a behind-the-scenes look at the ruthlessly simple time management system I use to run my solo practice.

The webinar is NOT open to the public.

If you want to attend, you must be a member of my Ditcherville coaching community.

Here’s a sample of what to expect:

Live Q&A

There will be plenty of time for Q&A, so if there’s something I don’t cover that you’re interested in, ask. I’ll answer every question, even if I have to stay late to do it.

Will it be recorded?

Yes, the presentation will be recorded, but the replay will only be available for 48 hours. After that, it’s gone for good.

This is the first time I’ve shared this info anywhere. I don’t know if I’ll do it again. So, this might be your only chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at how I run my business.

See you there?

If you feel like you’re working so hard that you can’t get ahead and desperately want to get back to running your business instead of it running you, I hope to see you on Thursday, December 7 at 1:00pm ET.

Click below to become a member of Ditcherville and get access to this private presentation:

JOIN NOW »

Monthly, annual, and lifetime memberships are available.

The Benefits of Membership

Of course, the webinar access is just the beginning.

When you join more than 700 of your colleagues in Ditcherville, you’ll get instant access to the following:

💬 24/7 asynchronous discussion and support in the Ditcherville Slack

🎟️ Invitations to all future Ditcherville LIVE Q&A sessions

🔦 A searchable database of 700+ individual questions with answers in audio and video format (more than 150 hours!)

📚 My library of email sequences, business templates, coaching questions, daily emails, and more

👂 A private audio podcast feed of past Q&A sessions so you can binge-listen to the back catalog hands-free

If not now, when?

Don’t waste another year moving one inch in every direction.

Join my group coaching community today and get the answers you need to start moving forward again.

Here’s the link again:

JOIN NOW »

I hope to see you in Ditcherville soon!

Yours,

—J

The handsome and talented Louis Grenier had me on Everyone Hates Marketers to go behind the scenes on how I run my business.

Much to my delight (and true to form), he asked very specific and pointed questions so we could avoid the typical BS you hear on business podcasts.

It's also on YouTube if you prefer to watch:

Watch Now »

Louis’ Links:

https://www.everyonehatesmarketers.com/links

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Before you go!

The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing email course.

Hope to see you there!

Alexander Lapa joined me on ditching Hourly for a tour-de-force journey through the paths available to tech folks operating with a post-hourly mentality.

Talking Points:

• Setting fixed prices and sticking to them can result in profitable client relationships.
• Specializing in a specific target market, such as nonprofits, improves marketing efforts and increases client trust.
• Value-based pricing allows for more freedom and flexibility, including the ability to take vacations without compromising income. 

Alex's Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderlapa/
• Consulting: https://dryadconsulting.com/
• Product: https://dryadreceipting.com/
• Newsletter: https://thegoodenoughconsultant.com/
• Podcast: https://dryadconsulting.com/podcast

Notes:

(AI generated)

Salesforce architect Alexander Lapa shares his journey of transitioning from hourly billing to fixed pricing in the nonprofit industry. 

He discusses the motivations behind the switch, the challenges faced, and the significant benefits experienced through value-based pricing. 

Lapa emphasizes the importance of scoping projects, creating template proposals for efficiency, and offering advisory and mentoring services tailored to each client's unique needs. 

The shift to fixed pricing improved client relationships, increased revenue, and provided more freedom and flexibility. 

Additionally, the transcript highlights the advantages of customizing the Salesforce platform for specific organizational requirements, de-risking the investment, and increasing ROI. 

Also explored are the processes, challenges, and benefits of building apps on the Salesforce platform, as well as the value of being on Salesforce's AppExchange. 

Lapa shares insights on patience and understanding when working with Salesforce and offers valuable advice for beginners in the field.

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Before you go!

The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing email course.

Hope to see you there!

Fellow daily emailer and No-BS marketer Rod Aparicio joined me on Ditching Hourly to bust the myth of personal branding.

Rod’s Links

• Twitter Profile
• Email List

AI Summary

In this episode, Jonathan Stark and guest Rod Aparicio discuss the concept of personal brand and its misconceptions. They emphasize that personal brand is more about influencing perceptions rather than controlling how one is perceived. The importance of authenticity and credibility in building a personal brand is highlighted, along with the distinction between brand and reputation. The episode also explores the relevance of personal branding for solopreneurs and small businesses, emphasizing the need for positioning oneself and focusing on the needs of the target market rather than obsessing over self-image or becoming an influencer. Credibility and trust are emphasized as crucial factors in attracting and retaining clients for solopreneurs.

Key Points

• Authenticity can be defined differently, with some emphasizing being true to oneself and others focusing on being different from others.
• Building a personal brand requires a curated version of oneself, but should align with one's values and not be hypocritical.
• Aspiration is the desire to become something, while inspiration is the internal motivation to do what one truly wants.
• Aspiration in personal branding could lead to a lack of authenticity and failure.
• Positioning oneself based on alignment and targeting the right audience is more valuable than building a personal brand.
• A credible offer, backed by testimonials, case studies, and referrals, builds trust with potential clients.
• Personal branding can lead to a sense of desperation and may not result in long-term success.

Best Quotes

• “A personal brand is mainly how people can control how they want to be seen and perceived by others.”
• “A reputation can be linked to a person, and a brand is something that you make artificial.”

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Before you go!

The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing email course.

Hope to see you there!

Graphic designer, product marketer, and co-founder of Conversion Factory, Zach Stevens, joined me on Ditching Hourly to explain how he and his co-founders went from zero to more than $36k MRR in one month with a productized subscription business that helps SaaS teams turn traffic into revenue.

Zach's links:

• https://www.conversionfactory.co/
• https://twitter.com/zstvns
• https://www.designdive.co/

Talking Points:

The fear of not being able to fulfill client expectations led to starting small with a hypothesis-driven approach.

Communication is primarily done through asynchronous channels like Notion and Loom, with some exceptions for in-person meetings.

Building rapport with clients and providing detailed explanations of deliverables enhances communication and feedback.

Centralizing communication efforts avoids the nightmare of having to navigate multiple platforms and channels.

Work-life harmony is about acknowledging that work and personal life will fluctuate in priority.

Quotable Quotes:

“Our conversion rate only had to be in the thousandths of a percentage point to be booked solid.”

“We only wanna take on five clients at one time to see how well we manage the workload.”

“More than half of our clients right now are on a higher strategy-based $9k/mo tier.”

“At the initial onset, it did feel like there was a lot going on, but then it kind of fizzled out, and things got a lot smoother.”

“We love using tools like Loom, anything that we can do to make it feel like we are in the room with them.”

“If you follow this model and it works, you’re going to have way more concurrent clients than you’re used to.”

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Before you go!

The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing email course.

Hope to see you there!

David Shriner-Cahn of Smashing the Plateau joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about how longtime corporate execs can increase the odds of going out on their own successfully. 

Key Points

• Taking the leap into entrepreneurship can be daunting, but with the right support and mentorship, it is possible to build a successful business.
• It's important to decide whether you want to look for another job or truly commit to building a business, as both require different mindsets and energies.
• Make the decision between being your own boss or maintaining the comfort of a steady paycheck.
• Understand the differences between being an employee and an entrepreneur.
• Identify your current stage in the transition and determine any obstacles holding you back.
• Validate your business idea by having conversations with people in your target market, industry experts, and potential clients.
• Joining a community of like-minded entrepreneurs can provide collaboration opportunities and support.

Best Quotes

"My mission in life is to help corporate refugees start, run, and grow their own businesses so they can do more of what they love and get paid what they're worth."

"I was doing what I was taught to do in engineering school, which is to focus on solving engineering problems. What I didn't focus on was the fact that the company that I worked for had lost a huge portion of their business and ended up firing a significant chunk of the staff."

"In those days, the model was you went to work for one of these big companies, and if you stayed there, usually it was like 20 plus years, you were eligible to receive a pension. And in those days, pensions were a defined benefit. So you really needed to be with one of these companies for a long time."

"I really wanted to figure out a way to just be in control of my career and my family's financial health in a way that I knew that I wouldn't be as an employee."

"At some point, you need to make a decision about whether you're going to look for another job or build a business because they require very different mindsets and activities."

"What's way better is to talk to three kinds of people about the problem."

"If you're looking for something that you can sell in your sleep, you know, an evergreen, like a digital product, then it would be a do-it-yourself."

David’s Links

• https://smashingtheplateau.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidshrinercahn/
• https://twitter.com/smashingplateau

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Before you go!

The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing email course.

Hope to see you there!