Let’s see if this sounds familiar: You say yes to everything. You take any project as they come up and you start them as soon as possible. You have too many clients and you’re juggling too much work. You have no work-life balance. And if you’re not up to your eyeballs in client work, you’re stressing and spinning your wheels about the next thing to cross your door.

Burnout is on the horizon.

Last week, we talked about setting boundaries with your clients to successfully manage those expectations and relationships.

In this episode, we talk about something equally important: the boundaries you set for yourself, in your life and in your business that will actually help you grow.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• What feeds scarcity and tramples your boundaries
• Why you have to protect time to work on your business, separate from client work
• The kinds of boundaries you have to set for yourself and your business
• The really important thing about small habits

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

Many branding agency owners and creative people find dealing with clients very difficult.

In my experience, and after having coached many people through difficult client experiences, I have found that the culprit is almost always lack of clarity around boundaries and expectation management.

Things often go off the rails when you can’t communicate and maintain clear boundaries with clients. That’s when you get urgent after-hours emails. That’s when you get scope creep. That’s how everyone ends up unhappy, you and your clients.

So let's talk about how to have clearer boundaries for yourself and your business and how to communicate those to your clients. 

Tune into this episode to hear:

• How do you create boundaries and set expectations with clients 
• How often you need to communicate your process 
• What ensures project efficiency
• What actually happens when you try to be responsive always and please your clients all the time 
• Why maintaining boundaries around your time makes your clients value it more

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

I’ve come to realize that so many people struggle to set and hold boundaries because they are afraid of being perceived negatively.

Whether it’s saying no to a casual invite to a bar when you’d rather not or holding firm to your boundaries in a professional setting, having and communicating clear boundaries can be stressful. 

But it is absolutely vital to your business for you to develop this skill. 

So that’s what I’m talking about boundaries this month. In this episode, we talk about what boundaries are, why they're so hard to set, and how you can start to practice the art of having them, acknowledging them, and setting them.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• What actually allows clients to push your boundaries
• What helps create more positive experiences for your clients
• How to start identifying areas in your life where you want to have better boundaries and why you don’t
• Using low-stakes situations to get more comfortable setting a boundary or saying no

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

Eleanor Hancock is a star student inside No BS Agencies Mastery and her transformation over the last couple of years has been absolutely phenomenal to watch. She’s an inspiration to me and in the community, and I know you’ll get so much out of hearing her story.

Eleanor Hancock is the co-founder of Number 75 Design, a creative agency that specializes in creating ‘damn fine brands’ and websites for dreamers, rebels, corporate escapees and change-makers. Eleanor’s “75% Rule” encourages action over perfection, helping entrepreneurs discover their hidden potential and take meaningful strides towards their goals.

As a self-proclaimed timid trailblazer and respectful rule-breaker, Eleanor has mastered the art of turning imposter syndrome into a source of strength and she’s all about empowering small businesses to make big waves in their industries.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• The state of Eleanor’s business after COVID and before joining the No BS Mastery 
• Why Eleanor was initially hesitant to join the No BS Mastery
• What Eleanor has discovered is the most valuable piece in any client project
• How Eleanor and her husband deepened the relationships within the community and their clients
• How the Mastery program has also been a catalyst for Eleanor to overcome impostor syndrome

Learn more about Eleanor Hancock:

• Number 75 Design
• Instagram: @number75design
• The Dilemma of the Timid Trailblazer

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

If you could just make the right social media posts, if you could just make your offer better, if you could just find the people who would pay the high prices, would that make you successful? 

What does it really take to be successful as a one to two person branding agency?

Success is about the whole picture: the business you want, the money you want to make and the lifestyle that you want. It’s about experiencing life the way you want to experience it.

This month we're talking all about hard truths that most business coaches are not going to tell you. In this episode, I give you the hard truths about what it takes to be successful. 

Tune into this episode to hear:

• What is more important than consistency of sales
• The non-negotiable action you must get comfortable with if you want to be successful 
• The importance of setting and holding clear boundaries with clients
• Becoming the kind of person who owns the business you want

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

Money. A topic that makes so many people so uncomfortable.

We all have money stories that can negatively impact us. God knows I have spent a lot of time working through those to have a healthier money story and a healthier relationship with money. 

So many creatives don’t like talking or even thinking about money. But it is such an important and powerful aspect of your business. If you don’t have a handle on the truth about money and numbers and how it impacts your business and everything else in your life, it can keep you playing really small.

In this episode, I share five hard truths about money that most business coaches won’t tell you.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• The truth about chasing consistent month-to-month income
• When access to capital is more important than profit
• The truth that some of your investments in your business will inevitably fail, and what to do when it happens
• Why you might not be getting paid what your work is worth
• A bonus truth about revenue and profit

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

It seems like everyone wants to be an entrepreneur these days. 

Start your own business! Be your own boss! It might look glamorous from the outside, but small business owners know, the truth isn’t all that.

This month, we’re talking about hard truths most business coaches won’t tell you. And today, I’m going to lay down some hard truths about what it really means to be an entrepreneur.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why being an entrepreneur isn’t for everybody — and that’s okay!
• The truth about growth, momentum, and rest
• What is inevitable if you go into business for yourself
• The thing about giving yourself validation for your work

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

Apparently, I have developed something of a reputation for telling it like it is. Students and my friends know that they can expect me to give to them straight.

Sometimes that might come across a little harsh, and it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I think there’s value in giving (and getting) no BS answers. I’ll be honest about what you can expect, what I think you’re doing right, and where I think you need to pivot. And it’s up to you to take that and make your own decisions about how it applies to you and your business.

This month, I’m going to share some of the biggest hard truths that one-to-two person branding agencies need to learn. Once you accept them, it will unburden you from so many challenges and you’ll be able to move forward with more ease.

Today, I’m starting with five hard truths that most business coaches won’t tell you about marketing.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• What every killer offers needs
• The truth about what “free” marketing costs
• The thing you need to have before spending any money on ads
• Why you do not need to chase trends trying to go viral on social media

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

I’m excited to share my conversation with a No BS Mastery star student. Caitlin Lang has been an absolute delight to have in our community and it’s been awesome to watch her take action and transform her business.

Today, she shares her journey from the dot com boom to working as a freelance brand designer, to embracing the No BS way after years of struggling with the default way of running a branding agency.

As the founder of Liquid Form Design and hype woman for other female entrepreneurs, Caitlin Lang crafts captivating brands and websites that give her clients the confidence to blast through their business goals.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why the intensives model was immediately appealing to Caitlin
• The mindset shift that made a major difference in Caitlin’s client relationships
• How committing to a niche has made getting referrals and doing outreach far easier and more fruitful
• How Caitlin is learning to give herself more space and freedom in her schedule
• What surprised Caitlin about the community aspect of joining the No BS program

Learn more about Caitlin Lang:

• Liquid Form Design
• Connect on LinkedIn

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

Following up can not only cost you a lot of time in trying to craft a thoughtful email that will hopefully get a response, it can be emotionally draining and frustrating too. Especially when you need or want the work, it feels like there’s a lot on the line.

This month, we’re talking about the default way that things are done in our industry and The No BS Way. 

In this episode, I talk about what the default way gets wrong about trying to get a response from prospective clients and what we do instead.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why a good followup email strips away the BS and gets to the point
• What to send if you still haven’t gotten a response and you need to close the loop

Mentioned: 

• Dean Jackson
• Taki Moore

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com