6 Figure Creative: Recent Episodes

Brian Hood and Chris Graham

6 Figure Creative is a podcast that helps freelance creatives earn more money by doing what they love. If you’re trying to avoid the never-ending grind of a 9–5, or just want to earn more money doing what you do best (creating), 6 Figure Creative is your new favorite show! Join hosts Brian Hood and Chris Graham as they explore topics such as mental health, finances, sales, marketing, time management, the digital nomad lifestyle, and more.

We often look up to the biggest names in our field and think, "Wow, I want to be just like them", but we rarely consider the consequences. While it can be great to take inspiration from others, it can also backfire... Why? Because the top 1% in our field are really, really good at some things (like taking the perfect photo or creating a memorable logo), but that doesn't mean they're experts at EVERYTHING. In this episode, we dig into what I call "inbred businesses." This is when everyone looks to the top 1% in their industry for how everything "should" be done... leading to a bland, tasteless copy of a copy of a copy of a copy. We're all creatives, so we (of all people) cannot simply accept the excuse, "Well, that's just how it's done in my industry". You need your own special sauce, which (much like the restaurant industry) is best found outside of your industry's bubble. In this episode you’ll discover:

Why the top businesses in your industry aren't the businesses to learn from

The advantage of looking to other industries to learn and grow

The biggest cop-out you could make: "That's not how we do things in my industry"

What a website exists for

The difference between what you want and what you need

Using the "template of the internet" for your website

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/273

You know those tedious, terrible tasks you keep putting off? Yeah, we all have those. 🙄 Imagine if they could get done without you lifting a finger. Sounds magical, right? Well, in our latest episode, I dive deep into the magic world of automation. 🪄 No, it's not as scary as it sounds. In fact, many of us are doing it without even realizing it!

Ever wondered what automation actually is? I've broken it down into three simple steps: a trigger, an action, and a result. 🔄

Curious about how automation can help you make more money? I chat about how it aids in attracting more clients and maximizing their value. 💰

And if you're thinking, "Brian, where do I even begin with all this?", don't fret! My goal for this episode is to open your eyes to the possibilities. Not to overwhelm you with too many details. We're keeping it big picture, friend! 🖼️

Sometimes, simply knowing what's possible is the key, so I can't wait for you to listen and see what ideas you have! In this episode you’ll discover:

Using automation in your business to eliminate tasks you don't want to do

Understanding what's possible when using automation

Setting yourself up for automation success

The tools you can use to automate your business

Using fulfillment automation to provide better service to your clients

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/271

Feeling like you've hit a ceiling in your freelancing career? Ready to take the leap into True Entrepreneurship but unsure where to begin? You're not alone, and I've got the perfect resource for you! I recently recorded a podcast episode all about what it means to graduate from freelancing. This episode is tailored for creative freelancers like you who might feel stagnant or limited in their current roles and are seeking new challenges, broader impact, and diversified income streams. In this episode you’ll discover:

The six levels of freelancing

What it takes to master the "agency model"

How to build your "offer ladder"

Creating tools for your industry

And more...

If you're ready to explore the idea of transitioning from freelancer to entrepreneur, this episode is a must-listen. For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/270

In today's episode, I'm dedicating the entire discussion to the creative versus the entrepreneur. We'll explore the pros and cons of each side, helping you navigate the battle within and find that sweet spot in the middle—the balance that leads to a happier, healthier, and more prosperous freelance career. First, let's really understand your creative side. As freelancers, most of us start as creatives at heart. We stumble upon a skill or a passion that sparks our imagination, ignites our creativity, and propels us to share our art with the world. It's what drives us to be here in the first place. But to become a successful creative freelancer, it takes more than just passion and raw talent. It takes a truly entrepreneurial approach. This is where the magic happens, where we turn our creativity into a viable business. Remember, both the creative and the entrepreneur are essential elements of your freelance business. Embrace the good parts of both and avoid the dark sides of both. By finding that sweet spot in the middle, you'll find the ideal balance for running a happier, healthier, and more profitable freelance business. So, if you're a creative freelancer who wants to earn more from your creative skills (without selling your soul), this episode is an absolute must-listen. In this episode you’ll discover:

Balancing the creative and entrepreneurial sides of your brain

Why creatives are selfish

Creatives and speed to finishing a project

What entrepreneurs understand that creatives don't

Using people, processes, and systems, to create value

Keeping your creative spark alive

Scheduling time for creative and entrepreneurial tasks

Expanding your horizons by joining communities and finding mentors

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/269

I get how it feels when your website doesn't bring those sought-after leads. It's frustrating to spend so much time and care building a beautiful site, only to be greeted with crickets. The thing is, your website is likely more like a confusing labyrinth for potential clients... All those options, paths, and choices can be overwhelming. It's like a choose-your-own-adventure novel, where you're never quite sure if you're heading for the jackpot or a dead end. So what happens when your clients can't navigate this maze? When they're faced with too many options, they don't stick around. They abandon your site before even reaching out. It's a lose-lose situation, and it's costing you leads and clients. Fortunately, there's a better way... Did you know you could guide your clients purposefully through their journey instead of leaving them stranded? The key is understanding the six critical stages of the client journey. And once you master that, you can use carefully crafted funnels to guide your clients through each stage. Curious about these funnels? You'll be excited to learn they are two of the best-performing funnels for freelancers - the Lead Gen Funnel and the Opportunity Funnel. They're no magic tricks but clear, straightforward strategies to turn more leads into clients. This week's episode of the 6 Figure Creative podcast talks all about the 6 Steps of the Client Journey and the two best funnels for freelancers. Learn about this, and you'll be on your way to creating a great experience for your clients. In this episode you’ll discover:

Why websites are not optional in 2023

The reasons your funnel may be leaking

Three types of funnels for your business

The importance of explaining your offer to leads

Manipulation vs. influencing

Proving you have the solution

Explaining next steps

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/268

Here's a concept that will make you more money - everything in business is based on inputs and outputs. Yes, this sounds soulless, and yes this seems to take away the creativity, but stick with me. It's all about understanding how your freelance business operates, just like any other machine out there. Picture this: When you work a regular job, you know your input is your time, and the output is your hard-earned cash, right? It's simple. Similarly, with a car, you put in gasoline, and you get mileage or horsepower as the output. Easy peasy. But here's the thing: Many freelancers forget about this essential concept of inputs and outputs, and it's holding them back. You see, the more input you put in, the greater the output...

Work more hours, get more dollars.

Pump more gas, get more miles.

Rob more stores, get more jail time

Makes sense so far, right? But here's the kicker: It's not just about two-dimensional thinking... There's a crucial factor determining your output more than anything else, and that's the actual machine. Better job = more $$ for the same hours. Better car = more miles for the same amount of gas. Your freelance business is the machine in question here. Just how well-oiled is it? Here's where things get interesting - the better your freelance business machine, the higher your income and the less you'll need to work on things you don't want to do. Leverage is the name of the game. But let's be real. Some of you might be working for less than you could earn at McDonald's. Nothing's worse than pouring your heart and soul into your work and feeling under-compensated. So on this episode, we're breaking your freelance machine down into five major pieces, then talking about the inputs and outputs of every individual part. Bring your toolbox, and let's start tinkering. In this episode you’ll discover:

The inputs and outputs of your business

Using leverage to increase your hourly earnings

Generating leads via inputs and outputs

How to nurture leads in your ecosystem

Choosing the right leads to work with

Focusing on client success

Tripling your income by adjusting your pricing

Why taking action is so important

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/267

Have you ever had an amazing potential client reach out to you? They seem really interested and they look perfect for you... But then, poof! They just vanish. Time goes by, the job doesn't happen, and you're left scratching your head, wondering, "wtf did I do wrong?" This can be really frustrating, but guess what? We can fix it! If this sounds like something that's happened to you, here's how you fix it: Be impossible to ignore. The truth is, if this part is hard for you, you're likely only getting 50% of the clients you could be getting, which means you're flushing money down the drain. How do I know? Well, when I looked at my own business, I found out that half of my earnings in a year came from clients I had to check back with five times or more. In this week's podcast episode, I'll give you five effective strategies on how to stay top-of-mind and be impossible to ignore. Ready to dive in? In this episode you’ll discover:

Why following up is vital to your success

How to followup without bothering someone

Benefiting your customers by following up

Nurturing relationships one-to-many

Establishing expertise as a creative

Email's not dead!

Using retargeting to nurture leads and stay top-of-mind

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/266

In any freelance business, there are two ways to increase your income:

Get more clients

Make each client worth more.

While most freelancers focus on the first method, most of us ignore blatantly obvious ways you can make each and every client worth more $$$ to your business. The beauty of focusing on how you can make each and every client worth more is that the improvements you make here can have a massive impact for the rest of your life. Despite this, few freelancers spend time thinking about how they can better monetize the clients they already have. And that's where this episode comes in handy. So, if you're maxed out on clients, and you're looking for ways to still increase your income (without burning yourself out), this episode is for you. In this episode you’ll discover:

Why knowing your AACV is vital to your business

Focusing on outcomes rather than hours worked

Why you might have to start working for someone else

The pitfall of offering low-value services

Methods you can use to increase your AACV

Why you struggle with pricing your offering

The difference between working with people vs. businesses

Why you should work for rich clients

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/265

On today's podcast episode, I wanted to have a candid chat about something critical to your success as a freelancer... It's a topic that's often glossed over, but it's the backbone of your entire business: Fulfilling the services you're paid for as a freelancer. Have you ever wondered why some clients never return, or why they don't refer your services to others? Maybe you're finding that more and more of your clients and projects are becoming a pain in the 🍑? If so, it might be time to take a good, hard look at your fulfillment processes. In this episode, I dive deep into the six common mistakes that can completely derail your fulfillment experience as a freelancer. Spoiler alert: if you're committing any of these, especially the first one, you might be setting yourself up for a nauseating ride. Here's why... As a freelancer, you are literally getting paid to deliver on your promises. When you mess up fulfillment, you're inadvertently sabotaging your own business. This can lead to fewer referrals, less repeat business, and the potential for some seriously stressful interactions with clients. The good news is that this episode isn't just about identifying the problems; it's about finding solutions and paving the way for smoother, more satisfying client relationships and more rewarding freelance projects. I can't wait for you to join me in this discussion. We'll go through these six pitfalls, figure out where you might be going wrong, and most importantly, talk about how to right those wrongs. In this episode you’ll discover:

Reframing from "to do" to "don't do"

Why offering more services is the opposite of what you need to do

The pain caused by avoiding SOPs

Focusing on an outcome rather than a service

Keeping communications clean

Setting healthy boundaries

Missing the mark with your clients

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/264

Today, we're kickstarting a new podcast series. We're calling it the "Freelance Fckups" series - because, let's be real, we all have those moments. This series is special because it aims to address one of the main issues we face when listening to advice-rich podcasts - information overload. Picture it as an "Advice Buffet" where you're trying to juggle countless pieces of advice, strategies, and tips. It's overwhelming, isn't it? For a lot of us, this all-you-can-eat Advice Buffet leaves us frozen in Analysis Paralysis Mode instead of actually helping us move forward. What if we can switch the narrative from what you should do to what you should avoid? This, my friends, is the vision behind our Freelance Fckups series. Each episode will focus on major pitfalls that freelancers encounter, areas where we commonly trip up, and how to sidestep these mistakes. So, let's navigate these bumps in the road together, step by step, week by week. This series won't be about adding new tasks to your ever-growing to-do list. Instead, we'll examine the habits, practices, and mindsets that might be tripping you up, allowing you to pivot, adapt, and avoid these missteps in the future. Let's get started! In this episode you’ll discover:

The snowflake fallacy

Why businesses are often inbred

The pitfall of staying in bill-paying mode

Acquiring new clients

Working in fits and spurts

Building bridges half-way vs. all the way

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/263

I've been talking to a lot of freelancers recently, and I'm a bit troubled by their underwhelming financial goals. It's not about being greedy, it's about being realistic... This is why I am presenting a bold idea: $100k should be the new minimum wage for freelancers. Many freelancers look at $100k as their most ambitious goal, while I look at it as merely the start. Hear me out. Gross income as a freelancer is vastly different from a salary in a day job. The reason is simple: expenses. They're part and parcel of being a freelancer, and I'm not just talking about pencils and paper here. I'm talking about substantial, often overlooked, expenses that can take a big chunk out of your earnings. In this episode, we're going to delve into those figures, so you can gain a clearer understanding of where your money goes, why $100k should be your new minimum goal, and what you should be doing to get yourself there. The aim of this episode is to challenge your thinking and to help you set yourself up for a better, more stable life as a freelancer. In this episode you’ll discover:

Why your expenses should be factored into your income goals

Costs you need to consider off the top of your income

Considerations for your pricing

When it may be time to shift niches

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/262

We all know the life of a freelancer isn't easy. There's an unending list of tasks to tackle, clients to please, and portfolios to build. On top of that, we juggle personal commitments and the oh-so-precious "me time" that often gets squeezed out. So, it's no surprise that we often find ourselves feeling overwhelmed, the creativity squashed out of us, and, at times, a sense of exhaustion that doesn't seem to let up. Sound familiar? It does to me. In our latest episode, I dove headfirst into this ocean of overwhelm in response to a heartfelt listener question. They wrote in, juggling a 60-hour work week, a freelance business, a spouse, and the all-important quest for sleep. And their question was, "how do I battle exhaustion and overwhelm when I need to use any free time to transition to working for myself?" I know this will likely resonate with you. It certainly did with me. Now I'm not about to pretend to be some sort of authority on managing overwhelm, but I am someone who's experienced these struggles and found ways to manage. I hope that by sharing my experiences and insights, I can help you navigate your own journey a bit more smoothly. This episode isn't about quick fixes or short-term solutions. We won't be tackling overwhelm as if it's a symptom to be temporarily alleviated. Instead, we'll be diving into the root causes, aiming to unearth lasting solutions that help you overcome this persistent roadblock. If you're constantly feeling overwhelmed (or if you're the one who submitted the original question) this episode is for you. I hope it brings some clarity, perhaps even sparks some realizations, about your own experience of overwhelm and how to overcome it. In this episode you’ll discover:

Treating symptoms vs. treating the cause

The golden handcuffs keeping you stuck

How a lack of boundaries affects your time

Why boundaries are one of the most important things in your life

Avoiding your problems and letting those fires burn

Breaking down large tasks into small, bite-sized chunks

The seasons of overwhelm

The benefits of asking for help

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/261

Here's a wild guess: I bet you've never set a real marketing goal for your business. Since most freelancers struggle to consider themselves a "business", this really isn't a big surprise. When it comes to the 10th episode of this "Back to Basics" series, marketing goals are about as basic as things get when it comes to marketing. How are you going to put together any sort of marketing plan without setting marketing goals? Now, I get it. I'm sure you have plenty of ideas fluttering around in your head about what you want from your business... Maybe it's a certain income level, a specific rate per project, or attracting a certain type of client. But here's the reality check: these are more like vague wishes than concrete, achievable goals. Without shaping those vague ideas into SMART goals, you may find yourself in what I call "plateau hell." Do you know that frustrating state where your business seems stuck? Perhaps you've hit a certain revenue mark - often around the $50,000 to $60,000 range - and you just can't seem to break through. You might even feel like you're regressing. I've been there before, and it's not a fun place to live. In this episode, I am sharing a tried and tested approach to goal-setting that can help you escape from the Freelancer Plateau Hell. In this episode you’ll discover:

Why the basics matter

The business goals to aim for

Increasing client value

SMART goals for marketing

The importance of promoting your business

Using reviews to build trust and authority

Why high conversion rates are a bad sign

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/260

If you've been stuck at 4 or 5 figures per year as a freelancer, there's likely one ingredient that is holding you back from growth. Without this ingredient, it is 100% impossible to get clients, grow your income, and get past the 6 figure mark (if that's your goal). In this week's episode of the 6 Figure Creative Podcast, my buddy Mark Eckert and I map out the path you can take to overcoming all of the hurdles between you and this incredibly important missing ingredient. In this episode you’ll discover:

How to move from four/five figures to six figures+

Why you aren't full time yet

How to revamp your entire public-facing identity as a freelancer

The difference between advertising vs. content marketing and why this matters for freelancers

Why you should be producing more than consuming

How sticking to a schedule or routine can tie all of this together

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/228

Is your income in a constant feast-or-famine cycle? Some months might look great... But then all of your projects seem to dry up, and you're left scrambling for clients. This sort of cycle can be brutal for your business, personal life, and mental health, but this cycle doesn't have repeated for the rest of your life. There are likely 3 things keeping you trapped in this vicious cycle, and this episode breaks down how to finally break the cycle. If you're ready for more consistency, dependability, and stability in your monthly income, add episode #227 of the 6 Figure Creative Podcast to your podcast queue ASAP! In this episode you’ll discover:

How Brian scored $12,000 flights for $200

Why you're comfortable in your day job

Taking responsibility for your business' success (or lack thereof)

What's keeping you on the feast-or-famine rollercoaster

The best solution to an inconsistent business

How to work smart, not hard

The key to consistent client acquisition

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/227

So you made it to $100,000+ per year... Congrats. Too bad you made so many sacrifices that you're constantly stressed out, you're missing out on time with friends and family, and you resent your business. The irony is that you became a freelancer because you hated your day job and you wanted to work for yourself. Now, you feel like you have 50 "little bosses", and you hate your life a little bit more with each new client you gain. If this sounds like you, it may be time to put boundaries into place to get to that sweet spot between hitting your income goals while also enjoying your life and business. In this week's episode of the 6 Figure Creative Podcast, I give you 6 different boundaries you should have with your clients so you can actually stay happy, healthy, and profitable. In this episode you’ll discover:

Maintaining mental and physical health while you're running a business

How to handle revision requests without losing your mind

Eliminating one of the most painful freelance experiences

How to keep your clients from taking advantage of your kindness

Boundaries for corporate/agency clients

Using boundaries to avoid scope creep

Avoiding stress with payment issues

How to learn more about building your client acquisition machine

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/226

If you've ever felt like your freelance life has been a neverending feast-or-famine roller coaster, chances are you're missing one (or more) pieces of a full client acquisition machine. You've likely "dabbled" with bits and pieces here and there, but you've never fully built each of the individual parts and refined them to the point where everything is working as a well-oiled machine bringing you high-quality clients every single month. In this week's episode of the 6 Figure Creative Podcast, I break down each of the major parts of your Client Acquisition Machine, as well as what specific numbers you should be aiming for as a benchmark. If you've ever wanted more stability and predictability in your business, and you want a clear roadmap for how to make 2023 your best year ever, this episode is for you. In this episode you’ll discover:

How to solve a consistency issue in your business

Why dabbling is slowly destroying your income stream

The foundation of your Client Acquisition Machine

Creating a transformational outcome for your clients

Building your Marketing Mothership

Your responsibility to sell to those who need your service

The parallels between software and freelancing

Nurturing your leads for a long-term relationship

Fine-tuning your Client Acquisition Machine

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/225

Did you know that closing too many clients can be a bad thing? I know it sounds completely backwards, but a high sales conversion rate (70%+) is usually a sign of an unhealthy business. In episode 224 of the 6 Figure Creative Podcast, I break down the two reasons why a high sales conversion rate is a bad thing, and what two actions you can take to build a happier, healthier freelance business. In this episode you’ll discover:

Why "winning" too many clients is a bad thing

The ideal close rate for your sales process

What to do if your close rate is too high

Avoiding the scarcity mindset of wanting to win every client

Sales leads vs. marketing leads - and why they are important

When to raise your rates

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/224

How much is an average client worth to you? Whatever that number is, imagine how much more they'd be worth to you and your freelance business if they were paying you that amount every single year. Now imagine how successful you'd be if every single client you've ever had was paying you the amount every year for the rest of your career. That's the reality for those who run recurring subscription businesses, however, most freelancers only offer one-and-done packages. Whether you call it a retainer, subscription, or simply a "monthly fee", most who follow this podcast would love the idea of acquiring a client one time and having them keep paying you every single month. But... What if your service just "doesn't make sense" as a recurring subscription? If that's you, I'd challenge you to listen to this episode of the 6 Figure Creative Podcast. No matter what service you offer, there's likely some way to shift your clients to a recurring income model. Our guest this week, Annemie Tonken, has managed to build her family photography business to 6 figures per year from 6 hours of work per week. If you want to learn how she's managed this, and how she's launched a highly-successful recurring-subscription photography service in an industry where very few others are doing the same, listen to episode 223 of the 6 Figure Creative Podcast ASAP. In this episode you’ll discover:

Transitioning your freelance business to a recurring revenue model

Becoming a more efficient business-manager

Solving your clients' ultimate needs so you can earn more on each project

The hidden benefits of a recurring revenue model

Average client value and the impact this stat has on your business

How to keep your subscribers happy, active, and paying

The key factors of adding value to your client's lives (for maximum profit)

How she earns a 6-figure income from 6 hours of work per week

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/223

Love it or hate it, email marketing is the closest thing there has ever been to a "magic pill" for anyone looking for stability in their month-to-month income. The sucky thing is...most of us "fall victim" to email marketing ALL THE TIME. You get tons of tons of emails from people offering their products and services, but you never make use of this powerful tool yourself. Most freelancers I see are making one (or more) of these mistakes:

They think social media is the best long-term play (it's not)

They think they can have the same success and stability 1 on 1 (you can't)

They think "join my newsletter" is a great way to build their email list (it's not)

They're actually building their list, but they're never sending emails (not good)

If you want a time-tested, surefire way to stay top-of-mind, build trust, and actually reach the audience you've built, email marketing is where it's at. If you're having success on social media right now, I'm begging you to take this time to build an email list so you're safe/secure in the long run. Social media has historically always become a "pay to play" world for business owners, and Tiktok is already making that shift. Don't make the mistake of thinking that party is going to last much longer. If you're open to the idea of building, growing, and using an email list to grow your reach, and you like the idea of building trust in a one-to-many setting, this week's episode of the 6 Figure Creative Podcast is for you. In this episode you’ll discover:

Why social media is not the savior people think it is

The number one platform small businesses need in their toolbelt

Staying top of mind with clients and leads

Setting up your first lead magnet funnel

How to attract email subscribers

The key to a juicy lead magnet

What Yahoo! did wrong with their website (and how it applies to growing your email list)

The math behind running paid advertising

Profitable Facebook ads for freelance creatives

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/222

Here are a few of the biggest lies when it comes to marketing your freelance business.

"If I'm good enough, people will find me and hire me"

"The only marketing I need is word-of-mouth"

"If I market myself, I'll come across as desperate"

"This sort of stuff doesn't work for freelancers"

If any of that sounds like you, my guess would be you likely have very little predictability in your income. You might go from having more gigs than you can handle, followed by extreme famine periods where your calendar dries up (along with your bank account). If you want steady, predictable income for your business every single month, there are 4 key things you need in place. If you're even missing one of these four pieces, you're making your path to predictability extremely difficult (or impossible). In this episode you’ll discover:

Marketing plans for freelancers

When email lists are vital, vs. when they're optional

"Proposing" via text message

The "3% rule" and the "80/19/1 rule"

How your niche affects your marketing needs

Swiping or dating: lead generation and lead nurture

How to create a business you rarely *(if ever) have to market

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/221

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...

You could turn down all those extra projects (and say goodbye to that extra $$$).

You could say "yes" to those projects and just hate your life for the next few weeks or months while you scramble to deliver (this is the route most of us take).

You take the responsible, profitable, healthy route of building systems that scale.

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:

Making your business run smoothly

Unloading your mind to focus on creativity

Flow charts - they're not just for nerds

Setting up your systems for success

The three key systems any business needs

Using templates to cut out wasted time

Logging your time to see where it goes

Why the major CRMs aren't the best for freelancers

Consolidating your tasks for easy reference

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:

Why failure is not the end

Starting fresh after your business collapses

Working with major brands just by asking

What you need to have in place before emailing strangers

How to face rejection as a freelancer

How to craft a cold email

How many times to follow up if no one replies

Brian and Colleen's original (and embarrassing) AIM usernames

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:

Overcoming the lead generation bottleneck

The number one key to getting booked

Content marketing as a freelancer

Basing your business model on Disney

Getting booked by posting on TikTok

The ROI of social media content creation

Documenting vs. creating content

Looking to others for inspiration

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:

Why you shouldn't rely on a single point of failure

Taking influence from other businesses outside of your industry

Creating income stability with a better business model

How to stay away from becoming an "inbred business"

How successful entrepreneurs deal with roadblocks

Sharing knowledge with your "competition"

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:

Finding time to work on your business instead of in your business

How successful business owners use the same 24 hours you have

The best app to track your time KPIs

Eliminating the stressors in your business

Brian's 4-step framework for saving time

Systemizing your processes for more efficient business practices

Protecting yourself from outside factors

Procrastinating with perfectionism

Why not all hours are created equal

The "Easy Ates" Framework

Eliminate

Can you remove this from your business entirely?

Automate

Can you set up a system to do this for you?

Delegate

Can someone else do this for you?

Mitigate

How can we make this task less painful if we can't eliminate, automate, or delegate it?

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.

$50 per hour? Sure.

$500 per hour? Maybe...

$5,000 per hour!? Possibly

$500,000 per hour? As a freelancer? There's no way that I know of...

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:

How to skip the freelance game and jump into scaleable income

A tax loophole to write off most of your travel expenses

80/20 for creatives - playing the numbers game

Using Print on Demand services to sell your designs

Being open to all opportunities

Handling criticism well

Contract negotiation - give and take

The importance of an active mailing list

Focusing on the important parts of your business

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:

The art (and science) of niching down

How to offer services and products in multiple niches

Automating and outsourcing the stuff you don't want to do

How to build an "ascension ladder" as a freelancer

Why relying on a single point of failure can destroy a business

The 80/20 of content marketing that actually brings in clients

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:

Focusing on the end goal, not the short term

The value exchange

The importance of social proof and perceived likelihood of achievement

How to close bigger deals

How time delay affects pricing and client acquisition

The expert wins: why experts get the job 9 times out of 10

Why adding friction is a recipe for losing clients

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:

How Ian pivoted from employee to freelancer

Growth hacking social media

The importance of engaging your audience

Overcoming the fears holding you back

Stumbling into success

The tech needed to start a podcast

Launching a podcast with a massive guest

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:

The importance of saying no

How to politely turn down a lead

Why working with the wrong people hurts you more than you think

Coping with self-doubt - you're not alone

How social media can be positive or negative for freelancers

Picking the right social media platforms for you

Managing your social media presence effectively

Why you shouldn't expect your followers to know who you are

How to focus on work as a freelancer

Separating personal and work time

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

If you struggle with low self-worth, perfectionism, procrastination, or self-doubt, then you might be making the mistake of letting fear into the driver's seat of your business. Fear is a plague in our creative community. So many of us let fear...

drive our rates down to pitiful levels (and keep us from ever raising them)

drive us working extra hours for free (so we don't "ruffle feathers" by asking to be compensated)

drive us to keep tweaking things for hours until they're "perfect" (even though there's no such thing as perfection)

trap us in a state of perpetual procrastination for all of those big things we know will push our business forward

It probably sounds obvious that fear is a terrible thing for you and your business, yet so many of us keep allowing fear to drive us every single day. That's why I wanted to bring on someone who's literally written the book on this. The author of "Feck Perfuction" is a world-renowned artist named James Victore. You may have seen his work in The Louvre or the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and I think it goes without saying that you don't make it to that level as a creative without annihilating fear. James has managed to break free of fear and build an incredible name for himself, and this episode dives into his process for what he does when the "fear demon" tries to sit on his shoulders and tell him how to live his life. In this episode you’ll discover:

The importance of overcoming your fears

Perfection and procrastination: your silent enemies

How to get over our physical and mental ailments

How childhood trauma, no matter how mild, affects your life/business

Learning how to love yourself

Finding clients who fit what you want to create

Why failing more is good

Taking risks to make your work stand out

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/210

Are you one of those bland, boring, vanilla freelancers who are trying to appeal to everyone? Are you terrified of the thought of offending someone or pushing away "potential" clients? The problem with being a "Vanilla Freelancer" that is you're invisible to the vast majority of people because you have nothing interesting to say, and you likely stand for nothing. You're not alone. There's a massive chunk of the creative world that's fallen into the trap of trying to appeal to everyone, and instead, you appeal to absolutely no one. Why would I choose to work with you when there's someone who specializes in exactly what I'm looking for? Why would I pick your plain vanilla business over another one that perfectly aligns with my values? The irony is that you're costing yourself clients who would be perfect for you simply because you're too afraid to stand out. The result is you get the bottom-of-the-barrel clients who were rejected by all the specialists who decided to choose a niche and own it. Many industries have figured this out, but somehow we creatives seem to latch onto the bland, boring, and vanilla. That's why I wanted to bring on Micah Woods to talk about his non-traditional niche. Micah is a branding and web designer who's forged his own path with a unique niche I haven't seen from any other freelancer, and it's done wonders for his business. Not only has it attracted his ideal clients to him, but it's also allowed him to reliably repel the worst types of clients for his business. The result is that he's able to enjoy a quiet, peaceful, blue ocean in the branding and design world while others are fighting for scraps in the red ocean of bland vanilla creatives. You do not want to miss this week's episode, so set time aside to listen ASAP. In this episode you’ll discover:

The impact of knowing you're about to lose your job

Why you shouldn't care if you're "bothering" people

It's all a matter of timing: cold outreach

Choosing your niche before you start your business

Launching a business and getting traction right away

How you can get clients with a small social media presence

Thriving in a blue ocean

The value of paying others to handle tasks for you

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/209

Have you obsessively perfected every single step of what your clients experience before, during, and after working with you? Most of the struggling freelancers I know have failed to do this, and it's costing them client, after client, after client, that they could have otherwise gained. The reason should be obvious: clients might forget the details of what it was like to work with you, but they will never forget how you made them feel. If you create a frustrating experience for them, you'll forever be remembered as "that one person who was incredibly frustrating to work with". If you create a confusing experience, they'll remember how they always felt lost during their experience with you. All of the most successful business owners I know have put tons of time, effort, and energy into perfecting their client experience for every single project. A well-executed client experience means happier clients, more referrals, more repeat projects, and an overall better reputation for your business. This is what my guest Nicholas Di Lorenzo has obsessed over in his business. He's built a fantastic client experience that has kept him booked solid in one of the most notoriously difficult business models in the audio industry. In this episode you’ll discover:

The advantages of starting as someone's assistant

How to grow your own business after working for someone else

Finding the techniques that stick

Making your clients' life as easy as possible

Keeping your workspace clean to help focus

Freeing up time to explore new areas of your business

How bad (or no) systems can cost opportunities

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/208

Ever felt like you wanted to reach out to someone, but didn't want to bother them? Maybe it was an old acquaintance, a past client, or even a prospective client you've had your eyes on for a while... Creatives typically have this voice inside our heads that say "don't do that... you'll just be bothering them". Here's something that may surprise you: That voice is usually a lying, thieving, horrible bastard who's simply holding you back from getting what you want... What's even worse is that this voice is holding your prospective clients back from the rich experience of connecting with you and all of the value you could potentially bring to their lives. If you want proof, just look at your own life. How many other people are constantly reaching out to you, bothering you with offers you don't want?

How many other freelancers are "bothering" you about hiring them?

How many old acquaintances are reaching out to you about meeting up for dinner or drinks to catch up?

Hell, how many potential love interests are sliding into your DMs?

If you're like 99% of the rest of us, those things are rarely (if ever) happening. There's a better way to handle this stuff. It's something called The Rule of 7, and it's one of the keys to the incredible success of this week's guest. This week I got to speak to a "7-figure creative" who turned his 6-figure freelance business into a 7-figure agency (which he eventually sold). He's used the Rule of 7 ethically to get more clients, stay top of mind, build trust, win more projects, and ultimately, earn millions and millions of dollars through his creative business as a designer. This is what separates struggling creatives from multi-million dollar powerhouse guests like Mike Janda. In this episode you’ll discover:

How to prepare yourself for an economic downturn

Positioning yourself as a freelancer to replace your day job

Solving problems as a method of sales

The rule of 7

The importance of meeting people in person

Competition at the top levels of freelancing

Understanding the market you're in to provide a valuable offer

Balancing between big city freelancers and "cheap" options in other countries

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/207

The dark side of freelancing (that no one wants to discuss) is the wasteland of low-dollar "Fiverr Freelancers" charging bottom-dollar rates for "butt-in-seat" projects. Whether you're on Fiverr or not, you may still be trapped in this low-dollar wasteland that is essentially just another soulless day job you've created for yourself. These projects tend to be unfulfilling and draining, and you end up in a horrible financial place. This is what so many newbies and struggling creatives do, and many never make it out of this trap. I know this might sound painfully obvious, but you can't build a sustainable freelance business out of low-dollar, unfulfilling work where you're competing with hundreds (or thousands) of copycat competitors willing to work longer hours for less money than you. This is why I wanted to bring on Ryan Koral from Tell Studios to talk about how he successfully transitioned from $500 projects to regular $50,000 projects, eventually scaling his freelance business to over $1,000,000 per year. Ryan shared a ton of incredible info, including one of my new favorite strategies for closing high-dollar projects, so do not skip this week's interview. In this episode you’ll discover:

Why Ryan pivoted from a full-time job earning $23,000/year to a becoming a full time freelancer

How "yes mode" affects the start of your business

Why you don't hire significant others for your business

Dealing with employees who don't have the right expectation

The benefits of delegating tasks to others

Why your employees aren't the idiots you think they are

Your value vs. how your clients value your work

How to sell a low $$$ workshop that leads to a $50k project (with a 100% success rate).

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/206

If you ever want to break 6 figures as a freelancer (or whatever your goal is), let me ask you something important... Are you running your business (and life) like a 6 figure creative? Most people think they can keep acting like a 4 or 5-figure freelancer and that eventually (with enough hard work and perseverance), you'll somehow break that elusive 6-figure goal. The reality is that you have to BE a 6 figure creative before you can earn 6 figures. Confused? Here's what I mean... Every 6 Figure Creative I know has these characteristics:

They're intentional in their personal life and business.

They have specific goals AND take consistent actions working towards those goals

They let opportunity and possibility drive their decisions instead of fear and self-doubt.

They're not afraid to show the world exactly who they are and are not.

The thing that most people don't understand is that these other 6 Figure Creatives already had these qualities and characteristics before they ever cracked 6 figures. You are the same. Until you have the qualities and characteristics of a 6 figure creative, you will not crack that number (or whatever number you're trying to reach). Our guest in this week's interview is the perfect example of someone who has all of these qualities. Toby Lloyd has been a freelancer for the past 15 years, and he's put a lot of care and intention into being the type of person he needed to be in order to be successful. Toby's results speak for themselves. If you want to learn what "the full package" looks like as a true 6 Figure Creative, this interview is for you. In this episode you’ll discover:

How Toby Lloyd transitioned from a full-time job in the film industry to a 6-figure home studio owner

Using competitions to create awareness for your business

Qualifying leads to make sure you're the best fit for the project

Why you need to get leads first and then focus on growth

The mindset of a good producer

How to nurture long-term relationships with your clients

Using flat-rate pricing to keep artists at ease in the studio

The difference between a Kiwi accent and an Aussie accent

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/205

Ever felt like your industry is just too saturated to stand out? Like you're just a tiny drop in a massive ocean? You're not alone. Nearly every freelancer has a moment (or ten) where they doubt themselves and their ability to stand out in a crowded "red ocean". That's why I was so excited to talk to James Martin from Made By James. James is a designer who's had immense success in the crowded niche of logo design. He's found a way to not just stand out, but thrive in an incredibly competitive niche. James is averaging around 1,000 inquiries from potential clients every single year, and this has allowed him to cherry-pick the best gigs and reject the "bill paying work" that many freelancers are forced to say yes to. Whether you're a designer or not, this episode will contain a lot of fantastic advice from someone who's built an incredible, long-lasting career as a freelancer. In this episode you’ll discover:

How James Martin has thrived for nearly 2 decades as a creative

Why niching down too early is worse than not niching at all

How to stand out in a saturated market

Passion vs. systems and habit

Why it's dangerous to rely on social media

Giving your clients the most value they can afford

Why it's time to raise your prices right now

Relationships in business

The difference between survival and thriving

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/204

"I need more clients". That's the #1 problem our community has in every single poll we run. The issue with getting clients is that no matter how good you are at what you do, you will never be able to get enough clients if no one knows you exist. That's why we wanted to dedicate an entire episode to discussing our favorite 3 methods for building awareness and growing your business. Creatives have to learn this stuff if they ever want to get out of the "feast or famine" lifestyle.

In this episode you’ll discover:

How to make an offer so good people feel stupid saying no

How to harness three of the six different lead sources

The thousand true fans model

How you can advertise for free

Why an email list is crucial to more and more freelancers

The importance of cleaning your mailing list

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/203

Here are the two rules for attracting your dream clients. Rule #1: Be attractive. Rule #2: Don't be unattractive. That's literally it. The hard part comes when you actually look at what is "attractive" to your dream clients. I'd bet you have a long list of alllll the things you want to see in their dream clients/projects, but very few people take the time to look at themselves and ask the most important question... "Am I the type of person that would attract this sort of dream client/project?" In many cases, that answer is, unfortunately, no. You're not anywhere close to being attractive to your dream clients. In other cases, you might be attractive to them, but you're doing little to nothing when it comes to communicating all the attractive things you have to offer them. In this continuation of our Client Acquisition Series, we dive into what it takes to attract your dream clients. In this episode you’ll discover:

Why Guitar Center is the worst place to buy gear (unless they sponsor us)

How Mark closed a half-million-dollar deal

Why different clients need different approaches

Setting expectations in advance

High ticket vs. low ticket sales

How to become attractive to your dream clients

How to stay top of mind without being cringy

Why red ocean businesses struggle

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/202

As a creative, what have you done recently to promote your work? If you're like most, you might have posted on social media a few times (if even that)... but that's about it. Unfortunately, self-promotion doesn't come naturally for most creatives, and it's to our own detriment. We might be the best in the world at what we do, but if no one knows we exist, we'll never make a living from our creative talents. That's why I invited Peggy Dean onto the podcast to discuss a subject she's become the master of; Self-promotion as a creative. Peggy has managed to amass an Instagram following of 184,000 people and an email list of over 75,000 people, and she's showing no signs of slowing down. If you're good at what you do, but you struggle to let the world know about everything you have to offer, this interview is a must-listen. In this episode you’ll discover:

Why failure isn't necessarily a bad thing

Prioritizing your time and energy to become more creative

How Peggy finished high school a year and a half early

Using project management tools to stay focused

Tackling your ideal client's biggest struggles

Batching work to keep content flowing smoothly

How emotion controls a buyer's actions

Why email subscribers are worth 10x your social media following

The 90/10 mindset to solve your problems

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/201

Have you ever had one of those awkward situations with a crush where you were TOTALLY into them, but you weren’t sure if they were into you? Yeah... That sucks. Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do to help you there since we give business advice instead of dating advice. What we CAN help you with is the client equivalent of that situation. Here’s what I mean... You’re talking to a dream client. You’re way into working with them, but you’re just not sure if they’re into you. There are actually 7 key points to cover with every potential client, and if each point is a “positive”, then they’re giving you their permission to pitch/sell them (i.e. take the relationship to the next level). This framework was shared with us by someone earning multiple millions per year, and it works perfectly in the freelance world. In this episode you’ll discover:

How to help your clients better by determining their needs

When closing a deal comes down to good timing

What to do if a client isn't sure they want to hire you

Why being open and honest with clients is the only way to run a healthy business

How to discuss your workflow and delivery with clients before closing a deal

Why it's vital that clients trust you implicitly

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/200

Client acquisition is a nerdy marketing term that basically boils down to one thing: getting clients. While the idea is simple, our freelance community seems to be deathly allergic to client acquisition. I get it... None of us got into this game because we wanted to become marketers. We do this because we love spending all day every day doing what we love by being creative. Unfortunately, that's not how it works. Unless you simply want this to be your hobby, client acquisition is a skill and a process you have to learn, develop, and grow. The alternative is to keep doing what you're likely doing now... sit around and hope a client finds you. If your current "strategy" is "hope marketing", this episode gives you the big picture view of how you can get complete strangers to hire you instead of waiting around for a miracle. In this episode you’ll discover:

Why people will never hire you if they don't know you

How to build trust with potential customers

When it's time to be yourself

How dating and business are closely related

Why Mark is was more of a ladies' man than Brian

How adding value in the long term sets you up for success

Why our "comfort zone" is holding us back

Why we need to be ourselves and not be afraid of alienating some people

How appealing to everyone is a bad thing for our businesses

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/199

If you're doing anything worth a damn, you will eventually hit a point of burnout. There's literally no way to avoid this happening from time to time. The question is "how do you handle it"? Some of us just put our heads down and keep working, trying to pretend we're fine. Others completely withdraw to "recover", but they lose all momentum. This episode explores the wide range of "gray" areas... This is the area beyond simple black and white thinking. It's this non-binary thinking that can help us navigate the most difficult roadblocks in our creative lives. If you're going through burnout, or you feel like you just don't have anything left to give creatively, this episode is for you. In this episode you’ll discover:

How to handle burnout

Why you might be facing burnout

Wearing all the hats as a business owner

The damage of over-saturating yourself in one aspect of life

Pacing yourself for success

How your well being is a sum of your life, not just one part

Why the four bottlenecks discussed in episode 188 are important to understand

Avoiding water in your gas tank

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/198

“I’m a failure. I should just give up. This industry is oversaturated. I could never compete with the other people in this city. I will never be good enough” If you’ve ever had thoughts like this, then you may have a dangerous condition known as a “Fixed Mindset.” This is where you believe your skills, abilities, and talents are capped. “I can never get better than this at these things”. If you allow a Fixed Mindset to take over, then your career may be over before you even started. It’s extremely important for your business, your career, and your life, that you don’t wave a white flag before you even try! Instead, there’s something called a Growth Mindset. In this episode, Andy J. Pizza explains how to make the switch from a Fixed Mindset to a Growth Mindset. In this episode you’ll discover:

What toxic creative mythology is and how it hurts your career

Fixed mindset vs. growth mindset

What the TV show Oak Island has to do with your career

Why you can’t let roadblocks discourage you

How a mindset can boost your life exponentially

Why making your goals SMART is key to your success

Why you need to live a life that your kids want to know about

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/197

Ever meet someone who's able to earn more than they need while still having time to enjoy their lives...without stress weighing them down? A successful, carefree person is a surprisingly rare person to meet. It seems like people are either constantly working while neglecting their personal lives, or their personal life seems solid but their business is stagnant. Even more common seems to be the person whose life is in shambles in all areas (I mean that's the norm post-2020, yeah?). Here's the "secret" behind success for those few who seem to have it all together...those people live by The 80/20 Rule. Most of us already know (or have some vague idea) of what The 80/20 Rule is, but very few people actually use that as their "north star." If you have no idea what The 80/20 Rule is, or you need a reminder of how you can use that magical rule to "refresh" your life, this episode is for you. In this episode you’ll discover:

What is the 80/20 principle, anyway?

How the 80/20 principle affects your business

Maximizing your profits by reducing your workload

Enriching your personal life using the 80/20 principle

How to review your business through the 80/20 lens

What not to do when you have a "f*¢k it" moment

Dealing with shiny object syndrome using the 80/20 principle

Prioritizing the pillars of your life

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/196

What do you do when your income hits a plateau? Do you... (A). Give up and move on to a new career (B). Keep going but try something new in your business (C). Keep doing the exact same thing for 8 years straight and keep getting the same result If you chose option C, then congrats, you're probably in what we call "zombie land". This is the place where your business is earning just enough to survive, but not enough to thrive. Our guest this week, Steven Helvig, is a music producer who was in "zombie land" for 8 straight years before he found a way out of it. Eventually, he went from a stagnating 5 figure income to a steady 6 figure income, and in this episode, he gives us the details of what he did to finally get out of zombie land. If you've been struggling to break through your income plateau as a freelancer, this episode is the perfect dose of practical inspiration and information to help you break the cycle and grow your business ASAP. In this episode you’ll discover:

The transformation from goal-less zombie to 6 figure studio owner

Mindset shifts needed to run a healthy business

Why charging more is good for your customers

Educating yourself so you can work smart, not hard

Hobbyist vs. professional mindsets

How niching down your messaging can attract your ideal clients

Using the 80/20 principle to eliminate pain points in your business

The importance of following up

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/195

If you've been stuck at 4 or 5 figures per year as a freelancer, there's likely one ingredient that is holding you back from growth. Without this ingredient, it is 100% impossible to get clients, grow your income, and get past the 6 figure mark (if that's your goal). In this week's episode of the 6 Figure Creative Podcast, my buddy Mark Eckert and I map out the path you can take to overcoming all of the hurdles between you and this incredibly important missing ingredient. In this episode you’ll discover:

How to move from four/five figures to six figures+

Why you aren't full time yet

How to revamp your entire public-facing identity as a freelancer

The difference between advertising vs. content marketing and why this matters for freelancers

Why you should be producing more than consuming

How sticking to a schedule or routine can tie all of this together

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/194

How do you go from "nickel and dime" $200-$500 projects to premium $10,000-$20,000 projects as a freelancer? To be honest, the answer is "you don't". You first need to make the shift from "freelancer" to "business owner". Lydia Kerr of Telltale Design Co made this transition in her highly-saturated market, and the results are jaw-dropping. Within 4 years of starting her design business, she grew it to over $20k/mo. In this interview, you'll hear her story of how she launched Telltale Design Co while working a full-time day job, and she replaced that day job income within just a few months of freelancing, and ultimately how she made the shift from low-dollar freelancer to a premium-priced business owner. In this episode you’ll discover:

How Lydia went from 0 to full time in a few short months

Growing your business to multiple six figures in under five years

The difference between living in a small town or big city

Why your $500 client will never be your $5,000 client

Using social media to promote your business

Working within clients' budgets

Being honest with your clients

Creating mutual respect with clients

What tools to use for your business

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/193

In my last day job, I busted my ass for two years slinging video games at a chain called Gamestop. I never missed a day of work, I always hit my upsell targets each month (getting people into our rewards program), our regulars like me, and my manager loved me. After two solid years of "kissing ass and kicking ass" there, I had worked my way up from $5.15/hr to a staggering $5.50/hr. Truly life-changing money, for sure🙄 Two years...$0.35/hr raise. While I hope you can't relate to that, chances are you've had some issue in your past where you (or maybe someone you know) didn't get the raise you worked hard for. It sucks. You know what's awesome, though? One of the biggest advantages of being self-employed is that you can literally give yourself a raise today. There are no gatekeepers holding you back. You are the one in charge of your income now🤘🏼 So in today's super-tactical, fun episode, we break down 5 different ways you can give yourself a raise today. One of the things we covered in this episode is one I used in my recording studio in 2015 to give myself a raise from $100/hr to over $300/hr. It's time to take your income into your own hands by listening to this week's episode of the 6 Figure Creative Podcast. In this episode you’ll discover:

Why you're more than good enough to freelance

How to go viral on TikTok with bad math

Hiring virtual assistants to increase your hourly wage

Why a "F**k you, pay me!" attitude is toxic in business

Following up to close more sales

CRMs and business success

Staying top of mind with potential clients

Offering appealing packages instead of piecemeal services

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/192

You probably got into the freelance world based on something you were passionate about, however, you likely know by now that it takes more than passion to create a real income. Making the move from passion-led freelancer to "6 figure creative" takes a brand new set of skills, beliefs, and character traits that no university or trade school will bother teaching you. One person who's successfully navigated the entire journey from "broke to millionaire" is Graham Cochrane. Graham started out as a passionate young musician who failed to achieve his dream of launching a successful band. From there, he sank into an unfulfilling day job while trying to build a freelance career on the side. Along the way, through many ups and downs, he's actually used all of his accumulated skills, experiences, and lessons to launch two separate 7-figure businesses. Graham came onto the podcast to share some of these lessons with us in an incredible interview. In this episode you’ll discover:

Why passion isn't everything

Elements you need to succeed in business

Listening to Gary V? Don't. (sometimes)

How you're over-optimizing your business

Separating you from your job

Where to get the next 6FC favorite book

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/191

Ever had an off day where you just didn't feel creative? What about an off week, or an off month? Where things can get dangerous is when our income depends on us being creative on-demand, but we're just...off. The great thing is that there are certain actions we can take to stay consistently and brilliantly creative for a long, long time. This week we interviewed Toddy Henry, author of the best-selling book "The Accidental Creative: How To Be Brilliant At A Moment's Notice". We discussed how creatives can create consistency in their work so that they're able to consistently put out their best work. In this episode you’ll discover:

The three most important things in your life as a creative entrepreneur

Taking a step back to think

Where to look for inspiration

Forming healthy habits

Reacting vs. thinking

Setting (and respecting) boundaries

Being aware of our shortcomings

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/190

Want to know the secret that separates failing freelancers from 6 figure freelancers? It's this one concept: 6 Figure freelancers constantly solved their business bottlenecks. If it sounds stupidly simple, it is, but it's definitely easier said than done. Let me break it down real quick... There are 5 main parts of any real business (freelancers included). Here they are:

Part 1: Lead generation - This is the part of your business where new people find out you exist and that you offer a (hopefully) valuable service.

Part 2: Lead Nurture - This is the part of your business where you're staying top-of-mind over a long period of time until the lead is ready to hire you. According to studies, only about 3% of any market is ready to buy "now", so nurturing them until they're ready is crucial to getting hired.

Part 3: Sales - This is where conversations turn into clients (i.e. dollars in the bank).

Part 4: Fulfillment - This is where you're actually doing what you've been paid for.

Part 5: Lifetime Value - This is how much one client is worth to your over your lifetime. It can be determined by how much you charge, how often they come back for more, how many people they refer to you, etc.

The issue is that ONE of these five areas is your bottleneck right now. Until that bottleneck has been fixed, there's no point in improving anything else in your business. The freelancers who make it to $100k/year are the ones who constantly solved their ONE bottleneck, took a step back, re-assed their business to see what the next bottleneck was, and dove all-in on that bottleneck until it's solved. Rinse and repeat. This week's podcast episode dives into each of these 5 areas and what you can do to solve the bottlenecks in your own business. For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/189

If you run a freelance business, there is no real separation between you and your business. That means any personal issues you have are guaranteed to affect your business. There are actually 4 specific "personal bottlenecks" that act as single points of failure as an entrepreneur.

No time

"Dirty Fuel"

Lack of skills

Blindspots

If any of these 4 issues exist, your business is 100% guaranteed to suffer. In this week's episode, we discuss each of these 4 personal bottlenecks in detail... In this episode you’ll discover:

Why expensive gear doesn't matter if it isn't earning you money

How personal bottlenecks are choking your business

Superheroes to save you from your bottlenecks

Clean fuel vs. dirty fuel – are you doing things for the right reasons?

Creating a step by step plan to tackle your bottlenecks

Why time won't let you go

When to ask for help with your bottlenecks

Handling your blind spots

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/188

If you're stuck in a dead-end job, about to turn 30, and thinking, "I wish I could open my own business... But I'm too old to start..." then listen up. You're not too old – it's never too late to start your freelance career or open a business. World-renowned designer Lisa Congdon didn't even start designing until her late 20s, and she didn't even start gaining traction until she was nearly 40. In the decade and a half since starting her business, Lisa has grown it to multiple six figures. Listen now to hear about Lisa's journey from struggles and setbacks, to ultimate success as a creative. In this episode you’ll discover:

Why it's not too late to jump into a freelance career

How Lisa began her creative journey

Giving yourself permission to be alone and its effects on your mental health

Why it's important to have diverse income streams (but still stay on-brand)

Selling physical products as a creative

Building your team: don't start too soon

Growth and mental health in a creative field

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/187

Last week we introduced the first of a two-part series about "The 6 Levels of Freelancing". The 1st level was "yes mode" and the 2nd level was "the generalist". This week we're walking you through what it looks like to move up the ladder into levels 4-6. If you feel stuck and you're ready to move up a level or two, fire up your favorite podcast app and let's dig in... In this episode you’ll discover:

How good systems will avoid Chris' Poopocalypse 2.0

Avoiding survivorship bias: don't always listen to the "old dogs"

The word-of-mouth death trap

Your hourly rates aren't your actual rates

Why Disqualifying bad leads to focus on good leads is great for your income

The difference between systems and automation

What the best automations have in common

Why experts focus on one specific area rather than learning everything

Growing your business the smart way: using SOPs

How to remove yourself from your business

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/186

Most freelancers have no idea what they are doing and end up stuck in a low-paying, dead-end job because their business never gets enough clients to pay the bills. In this episode, we discuss the levels of your freelance career, and how to move from one level to the next so you can earn more money and work with better clients. If you want to learn how to become an expert in your field, get paid well for your work, and want to work from home on your own schedule, this episode is for you! In this episode you’ll discover:

Everyone starts on the same level

Why you're not special if you take every job that comes your way

How to learn what you want to do with your life

Listening to the market: your clients will help you pick an offering

Why you're shooting yourself in the foot if you offer two drastically different services

Automation: is it helping you or harming you?

What common business advice is actually bad for your business

Imposter syndrome: what to do when it rears its ugly head

Why the generalist never wins

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/185

You FINALLY get someone to reach out to you asking for your rates. Wooooo! 🥳🎊🎉 You rack your brain to come up with a price for the project and send it off. Days pass… you don’t hear back. So you send a follow up. Weeks pass… now you’re trying to figure out where you went wrong. The would-be client has just ghosted you. The worst part is that you have NO idea why… Was it pricing? Scheduling? Did they decide not to do the project? Did they hire someone else? Did they even SEE your message? Ghosting SUCKS. So we set aside an hour of our time to create an entire episode dedicated to the topic. In this episode you’ll discover:

Why your clients are ghosting you

How to not get ghosted

Building a connection with your customers so they don’t want to ghost you

Why you need to get on the phone

How to create natural scarcity and urgency

Why you should never give your pricing out quickly

How to get help growing your business

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/184

Here's a list of the most common reasons someone might hire someone else instead of you:

They don't trust you

They forgot you exist

They felt like you were manipulating them

They felt misunderstood

They’re not confident you can give them what they want/need

They felt no connection to you

What’s funny is that this list is nearly identical to the reasons a new romantic relationship might fail. My point? It’s pretty simple… If you start dating someone brand new, you’re likely going to put SOME sort of effort into building that relationship. Right? You’d text/call them. You’d go on dates to get to know them. You’d try to figure out if you’re compatible by having meaningful conversations. You wouldn’t simply leave them alone and hope they propose to you later, right? You’d intentionally nurture that relationship. It’s the same thing with your potential clients. They reach out to you…but wtf do you do in the days/weeks/months between the first conversation and the point they hand over their hard-earned dollars? Most freelancers do a whole lot of sitting around and smoking Hopium. You’re just waiting for that phone call where the person finally “proposes” to you. On this week’s episode, we dive deep into the process of intentionally nurturing your leads. For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/183

It’s the beginning of 2022 and I recently completed my end-of-year retreat where I went off the grid to dig deep into my own businesses and plan for the year. During my retreat, one of the things I did was dig into my analytics to see what’s been working, what’s not working, and what needs to change in the future. This week’s podcast episode is the direct result of one of my most interesting discoveries when diving into my analytics across everything I do. In this episode you’ll discover:

What you’re missing out on if you don’t follow the 6 Figure Creative YouTube channel

Why word of mouth is not the solution for a new business

How to get more clients without word of mouth

You’re a creative who is averse to marketing: now what?

Six ways to bring traffic to your website

How to get your business ranked by Google

Using affiliate marketing in a freelance business

When it’s appropriate to use ads for your business

182 reasons you should subscribe to our YouTube channel in a Blink

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/182

Implementing helpful tools into your business is one of the best, most cost-effective ways to increase your income or decrease your time spent doing tedious, frustrating tasks. Every single tool we discuss on this week's podcast is created to either straight up make you more money, or save you time, money, and frustration. One quick word of warning...while tools are amazing when fully implemented, a half-implemented tool is a total waste of money. Make sure you're 100% ready to take on the (sometimes boring) implementation phase before using any of the tools we discuss in this episode. In this episode you’ll discover:

Having too many unconnected systems can be worse than no systems

Why Brian is going to fight Chris in a parking lot

Avoiding the Apple Mail app

The power of Keyboard Maestro

Eliminating pain points so you can maintain flow state

Why giving away free merch is worth it

The system behind a successful follow-up

What Chris Graham wants in his inbox (hint: it’s feet)

Is it worth it? Camera and lighting equipment for video

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/181

Being overwhelmed can stop you from achieving your goals and living the life you want. This can be especially damaging when you run your own business, so your livelihood relies on you alone. In this episode, Chris and Brian talk about how they deal with overwhelm in their businesses and in life. They also discuss mental health issues such as PTSD, ADHD, and ways to cope as a self-employed creative. Get ready to start 2022 in the right headspace for success: listen now to learn more! In this episode you’ll discover:

Why Chris Graham is not and never was straight edge

Why episodes 75-125 were our best episodes… For now

How to handle overwhelm

Dealing with PTSD as a business owner

Addressing the symptoms and the root cause of an issue

The news is a giant timesuck

Surrounding yourself with people who support you instead of tearing you down

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/180

For decades, recording studios around the world were able to thrive in a healthy music industry full of platinum albums, hefty recording budgets, and, most importantly, ACTUAL profits. Things have steadily declined over the past 15 years with large commercial facilities closing down left and right. For many studios, the final nail in the coffin was the COVID-19 lockdown. While many are failing, some are still thriving despite the struggles of many other studios. In this week's interview, our guest has turned things around in a big way in an iconic LA studio called Total Access Recordings. Listen now to learn more! In this episode you’ll discover:

What it takes to get your foot in the door at a “legacy” studio

How fresh ideas can save older recording studios from going under

Reducing your overhead by using extra resources you have

The cheesy romcom of one Socal studio in the late early 2000s

Growing out of a brand image you struggle with

Making a name for yourself in the local scene

Finding a need and basing your business moves on that

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/179

In 2017, John McLucas was homeless and sleeping on a foam pad in his one-room, windowless recording studio. Just a few years later, he's earning a six-figure income as a producer working with pop artists to provide a high-value, white-glove service. How did he make this massive change? While there isn’t one thing John did right, there are a few big things he did that you can start doing today to put your own freelance business on a similar trajectory. Listen to this episode of 6 Figure Creative now to learn more! In this episode you’ll discover:

How John went from sleeping on his studio floor to earning six figures… In three years

Why offering a premium service is one of the best decisions you can make

How to differentiate your business from the competition

Thinking ahead 10 years: will people still want to work with you?

How to deal with online haters and trolls

The power of harnessing TikTok to generate leads for your business

Why it’s important to avoid overworking yourself

Methods of dealing with plateaus in your business

Learning to invest in your education to grow your business and skills

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/178

Humor is a great way to connect with your friends 1 on 1, but it’s one of the most difficult things to do right in marketing (1 on many). Allie LeFevere of Obedient Agency has spent the last six years helping companies find the sweet spot between lame, lifeless jokes and cringy, over-the-top humor to get their marketing just right. Listen now to learn how Allie has built her business from a two-person partnership to a thriving agency with 8 people on the team! In this episode you’ll discover:

How you can make your brand memorable

Why your brand shouldn’t always fall in line with your personal tastes

What goes into good humor in copywriting

How Allie systematically creates amazing copy

Why being different is vital

How to crush objections before they’re mentioned by your clients

What happens when a robo vacuum meets a literal pile of sh*t

How to handle yourself with confidence

Why you don’t want to be the business who does everything

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/177

Most freelancers shy away from the corporate world because “they’re special snowflake creatives who will never sell out and could never possibly be fulfilled working with corporations”. The reality is that any creative work can be fulfilling. The beauty of working with corporate clients is they actually have budgets. With budgets come options...

The option to actually make great money as a creative.

The option to turn down clients who don’t have budgets.

The option to do bigger, better, more creatively-fulfilling projects.

This week’s guest, Daniel Clark Cunningham, is a perfect example of this. He’s worked with many household names – from Discovery Network to Dale Earnhardt Jr., to Chevrolet – and he’s learned a lot along the way. He’s also taken a very unconventional path to get to where he is today. Listen now to learn how Daniel used “the war of attrition”, constant failure, and email marketing to build his photography business. In this episode you’ll discover:

How to level up from broke clients to well-paying gigs

The three things needed to succeed as a freelancer

Why internships are sometimes a necessary evil

How to outlast your competition

When to work on projects for yourself

The key to understanding your clients

How being ready to say “yes” brings opportunities

How to explain why you’re worth what you charge

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/176

The words you write have the power to build trust and win clients, but they also have the power to bore people to death and turn away clients. It’s your choice whether you want to put in the work to write website copy that does all the “selling” for you. Most freelancers, unfortunately, leave copywriting as an afterthought. This creates a massive opportunity to stand out from your competitors by taking the time to nail your website copy. This week’s guest, Rachel Greiman, is a freelance copywriter who works with nearly 100 clients per year. Not only is she earning 6 figures from her freelance work, she’s also writing website copy for other 6 figure freelance photographers (our guest from episode #172 is actually one of her 6 figure clients). That makes Rachel the perfect expert to bring onto the podcast to teach us all about the process behind copywriting for freelancers. In this episode you’ll discover:

How great copy can affect your business

Why copy should come before your website design

How to understand what your ideal clients are looking for

How to package your offering so the client buys what they want and gets what they need

Why niching is so vital to your business

How systems help Rachel have six figure years over and over

How to go from $500 projects to $5,000 projects

Why some businesses shouldn’t have repeat clients

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/175

You always struggle to make progress in your business. Everyone seems to be against you. You can’t hire anyone because they’ll never do it as well as you can. You simply can’t bring yourself to leave the security of your day job. These are all symptoms of negative mindsets that are holding you back from your full potential as an audio engineer and entrepreneur! By working to defeat negative mindsets, you can be much more comfortable in your own shoes and teach yourself to succeed rather than waiting for someone to hand things to you on a platter. Listen to this episode now to find out how you can identify and eliminate five different toxic mindsets that are ruining your chances of success! In this episode you’ll discover:

Why you need to work on eliminating negative mindsets

Which negative mindsets might be affecting you

How the “blue-collar” mindset can hold your business back

Why outsourcing low-paying tasks can increase your hourly earnings

Why reacting negatively to someone else’s success is a sign of a bad mindset

How playing the victim will stop you in your tracks

Why holding grudges steals your time and energy

How fear negatively affects your business

What mental blocks the fixed mindset causes… And why they’re wrong

How Chris and Brian both overcame a fixed mindset to become successful business owners

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/174

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

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

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

Freelancers are always looking for ways to make more money and grow their businesses. To make that happen, you have 3 main methods... Method #1: Raise your rates. Method #2: Find more leads. Method #3: Close more clients. In this week’s interview, Jay Clouse shares his methods for attracting and closing high-budget clients. Jay’s background in the tech startup world brings us a fresh perspective for positioning and sales as a freelancer. Listen now to learn how Jay Clouse attracts and closes high-budget clients. In this episode you’ll discover:

What the three most common business models for freelancers are

How you can harness each different business model to grow your business

Why it’s important to choose the right model

How to flip the sales process and close more deals

Why working as a contractor is great – sometimes

How to have consistency in your business

How to close deals without being pushy

Why you need to get on the phone

When money is no object

How having too many clients hurts your business

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/163

As a freelance creative, you probably have thought “if only I could close one more deal a month I’d be much better off.” Closing more deals can result from many different variables, but one of the easiest ways to increase your odds is by reframing your sales calls to focus on the client and how your service will change their life. Listen now to hear Ben Hartley of the Six Figure Photography Podcast share his advice so you can close more sales in your creative business! In this episode you’ll discover:

How you’re shooting yourself in the foot by focusing on what you provide

Why sales is about the outcome

How to navigate sales as a creative

How to escape the “technician mindset”

Why you need to show your clients they’re worth investing in themselves

How to close more sales

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/162

The creative industry is full of pitfalls – and there are nine common mistakes that creatives make when starting their own business or freelancing. In this episode, Brian and Chris discuss these problems and provide solutions to help you avoid them! Listen now as we dive into each topic specifically so you can learn what not to do in order to save time and money! In this episode you’ll discover:

How to serve your clients well

Why niching down is the right choice to grow your business

How getting a logo made is usually procrastination

Why overconsuming educational content is harmful

Why you’re destroying your business if you don’t have a portfolio

How to harness case studies in your business

How the jack of all trades loses authority

Why you need to close sales over the phone

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/161

It's hard to make a living as a creative, and it can seem even harder if you're trying to do it on your own. You can't just throw paint at the canvas, music into Pro Tools, or words onto paper and expect people to buy it. Blake Jamieson started with a plan, knowing that he would have to work every day, build his brand, put in the hours, and never stop learning. He also knew that there are no shortcuts when it comes to success. Listen now to hear Blake discuss his journey from the beginning to where he is now, creating high-value art pieces for athletes and major companies such as Topps! In this episode you’ll discover:

How Blake moved from a career in digital marketing to creating art

Why a self discovery trip might be valuable to you

How going all in can boost your career

What separates a great creative from an average creative

How to set your prices as a creative

Why creative thinking and business go hand in hand

How you can get a celebrity’s attention (without being creepy)

Why having an agent or manager isn’t always a good thing

What NFTs are, and how you can harness their power

Why NFTs are so powerful

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/160

Want to know the quickest way to earn more? Increase your rates. Everyone knows this advice, but few have the confidence to pull it off regularly. If you struggle with this, you’re not alone. Here’s the good news; there are multiple ways to increase your income. One of the best ways is by introducing “upsells” into your sales process. This is when a client comes to you for one thing, but you identify other services they may benefit from in order to reach their goals. In this interview, Lizzie Pierce shares her wisdom from multiple years of experience running a six-figure video production company. Her company regularly upsells clients by pitching a vision of a larger project than originally planned, then turning that small-dollar production project into a major one involving teams or freelancers. Whether or not you work with a team, this method can be a fantastic way to increase your income without ever having to raise your rates. In this episode you’ll discover:

How Lizzie convinced a client to publish a promo video about sexting

How to understand a client’s wants vs. their needs

Why Lizzie is able to upsell customers in one aspect of her business to another part of her business

How to offer multiple services without diluting your branding

Why you need to add a margin to contract work

How your “scene” impacts your work

How to grow your business creatively

Why Fresno is the new 6 Figure Creative example of a dead city

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/159

You want to start or grow a business, but you’re not sure where to begin. There are so many different ways to start your business that it can be hard to choose which one is right for you. In this episode, Rodrigo Tasca shares his story of how he went from working catering jobs in New York City to running a 6 figure videography business in south Florida. Listen now to hear more of this American Dream story! In this episode you’ll discover:

How Gary V inspired Rodrigo to start his business

Why you need to jump in and go for it

Whether or not you should do free work

How to get more clients

How you can find your niche

How sacrifices result in success

How to position yourself in the market

How networking leads to more work

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/158

We've all heard the stories of creatives who are struggling to grow their business, and it's easy to feel like you're just not doing enough. Others feel like using marketing is “selling out” and not genuine. The fact is, every business needs marketing. There are a lot of marketing strategies out there that can help you get more clients and make more money, but which ones should you be using? In this episode of the 6 Figure Creative Podcast we discuss three different methods for getting more clients that all creatives should be aware of. In this episode you’ll discover:

Why creatives shouldn’t be allergic to marketing

What kind of marketing most people think of

Why small businesses shouldn’t copy massive company’s marketing methods

How to craft a good advertisement

How to make informed decisions about your marketing

What Go-Giver Marketing is

How communication and setting expectations in advance lets you draw a line

Why you don’t want to be an “icky” marketer

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/157

99 out of 100 creatives SUCK at marketing (and I'm being a bit generous here). They're either stuck in 2010 doing things that no longer work or they're completely "allergic" to marketing altogether.

You may be incredible at what you do, but if no one knows you exist, then what’s the point?

You’re actually HURTING people by not improving your marketing because now people are paying someone worse than you for an inferior service (or product).

It’s actually your duty to market yourself.

The good news is you don’t have to be one of those try-hard spammy internet marketers. You can actually market yourself just by simply helping people.

Don’t believe me?

Then listen to this week’s interview with Matt Ramsey. He’s built an incredible business using modern marketing techniques that bring his ideal clients directly to him.

The techniques he shares in this interview can be used by pretty much any freelance creative who’s willing to put in the effort.

In this episode you’ll discover:

How Matt adapted to the demise of his budding marketing career

Why experience in the advertising world can help freelance business owners

Why some businesses should focus on SEO… And others might not need to

How to skillfully trade services

How you can find the right keywords for your business

Why lead magnets are important for creative businesses

How you can harness the power of the internet to grow your business

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/156

Freelance creatives are struggling to make a living. The competition is fierce and the job market is saturated with new talent every day. In this interview, Alex shares her story of going from a soul-sucking corporate job to Fiverr millionaire in just a few years. She also shares her advice for freelancers looking to get ahead in their creative careers, including how she got started on Fiverr, what it's like being an entrepreneur, and why you should consider starting your own business. This podcast will help freelance creatives understand that they don't have to settle for low pay or long hours – they can be their own boss! It will give them tips on how they too can create a successful side hustle while working full time as well as valuable insight into the world of entrepreneurship. In this episode you’ll discover:

How your drive affects your business’ success

Why Fiverr might be an ok way to launch your business

Why working 10-12 hours a day isn’t always the right move

How to handle internet haters

How you can pivot away from using platforms like Fiverr once you’re established

How to deal with imposter syndrome

Why it takes time to grow a business

Why Fiverr may or may not be good for creative entrepreneurs

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/155

You don't need to have all the answers. You don't need to map out every single step on your journey. Just take the next scary step. We're all guilty of this to some degree. We want to know every single detail and create a solution to every single potential problem that COULD come up. We put off creating, launching, growing, selling, marketing, or whatever we know we need to do. This episode of the 6 Figure Creative podcast is the much-needed kick in the ass to overcome one of the greatest obstacles to success... Fear.

In this episode you’ll discover:

How college affects your career as a creative

How to build an audience

What types of people to avoid

Why you need to embrace (some) fear

How failure leads to success

Why you should just do it

Why degrees don’t matter in creative fields

How taking bite sized chunks helps your business

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/154

As creatives, we cringe at the thought of being too “salesy”.

We tend to be so “allergic to sales” that we swing too far in the opposite direction and miss out on winning gigs that we would, could, and should have won.

What if there was a way to get clients without having to resort to being that desperate, annoying person we all know and avoid?

It’s called being a Go-Giver.

Of all the books we’ve mentioned on the podcast, there’s one that outranks them all – longtime listeners will know that it’s The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann.

It’s an amazing book about how to get what you want without pushing away those around you.

Today, Bob Burg joins us to talk about the book, and share wisdom about the content and principles brought to light within The Go-Giver.

Listen now to hear Bob’s chat with Chris and Brian, with ideas on how creatives can best apply the go-giver principles!

In this episode you’ll discover:

How Bob Burg came to write The Go-Giver

Why creatives have trouble selling

How taking focus from yourself and applying it to others helps you

Why customers won’t buy from you for you

How to be a go-giver in a business that isn’t scalable

What the difference between money and value is

Why we need to be aware of what people value

How the go-giver approach can be adapted to different personalities

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/153

Most freelance creatives face one large problem: they need more clients. This is the same problem Anthony Craparotta faced when he launched Lyricvids.com.

Anthony offered an amazing service, but struggled to fill his calendar with paid work. Instead of sitting around, relying on “hope marketing”, he took marketing into his own hands and started emailing his ideal clients.

These people had no idea he existed, but he was able to turn them from strangers into clients.

Fast forward to 2018 and he was able to break 6 figures. The best part is that he’s been able to double LyricVids income every year since then… all from cold emails.

Learn more about growing from a small side hustle to a thriving freelance business with Anthony Craparotta on this week’s episode of the 6 Figure Creative Podcast!

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/152

If you're a freelance creative who's been trying to earn a living from your passion, but feel stuck, unmotivated, or just don't see a clear path forward, this podcast is for you.

In this episode, we talk about what to expect from the 6 Figure Creative Podcast moving forward, how it's different from The Six Figure Home Studio Podcast, and why it will absolutely be worth your time every single week.

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/151

If you’ve been listening to The Six Figure Home Studio Podcast lately, you’ve probably heard that we’re about to make a major change.

Listen now to hear all the details about what’s happening to The Six Figure Home Studio Podcast and what you can expect from us in the future!

In 2000, the CEO of Netflix tried to convince Blockbuster to buy Netflix for $50 Million and they were laughed out of the room.

Now Netflix is worth $210 Billion and the last remaining Blockbuster store for $4/night on Airbnb.

The recording industry has made the same mistake as Blockbuster, and it’s the main reason so many studios have been shuttered in the past decade.

Listen now to learn more about staying on your toes and recognizing when you need to pivot to keep your business afloat!

You always hear us preaching about “finding a niche to dominate”, but you just can’t seem to get traction anywhere.

Why do some people naturally find a niche while others are stuck in a perpetual state of being a generalist?

In this episode, we dig into 6 common mistakes that hold people back from dominating their niche.

“HUSTLE OR DIE”.

That’s the message you hear from so many business gurus.

Your to-do list seems to grow exponentially the more education you consume.

It can be overwhelming, exhausting, and ultimately send you down the path of burnout.

Instead of trying to do everything, you can simply focus on the minimum amount of work for that thing to be effective (i.e. no longer a bottleneck in your business).

When your brain makes this switch, everything in your business gets so much easier.

In our latest poll, more than 65% of studios have seen their incomes decline due to the pandemic.

Instead of diving into the obvious reasons why studios are struggling, we thought it would be more beneficial to interview someone who’s having their best year ever.

How have they set themselves up for success in 2020 while other studios are struggling?

Listen now to learn how Jake has built his business from the ground up to not only survive, but thrive in this post-pandemic world.

This episode is for anyone feeling hopeless, aimless, and discouraged. Sometimes a simple pep talk from your friends and some practical steps can be all it takes to get yourself out of a funk.

Instead of feeling sorry for yourself and giving into the victim mentality, it’s time to step up and take charge of your life… despite the crazy shit going on in the world.

One of the biggest keys to a successful freelance career has always been building relationships.

The problem is that most audio engineers tend to be cave-dwelling troglodytes who go days without direct contact to sunlight. This problem has only gotten worse now that social distancing is the new normal. How can we build relationships if we can’t be around clients and friends?

The good news is there are ways to build and maintain relationships with your ideal clients without leaving your audio cave

Last week we talked about essentials for your marketing plan.

I mentioned eight things many people skip – before they complain that their efforts failed.

Today you’ll learn about the 2nd half of my 20-point marketing plan, but you should only listen to this episode after you listened to the first part, episode 142: The Ultimate Guide To Creating Your Marketing Plan: Part 1

Listen now to learn more about growing your business by harnessing the power of friends, family, and yes, even cold marketi

When I talk to most people about their marketing plan, I hear stuff like this constantly...

“I’m going to focus on networking as much as possible.” “I’m going to start reaching out to musicians on Instagram.” “I’m launching a podcast.”

The majority of people who tell me these things come back to me with nothing to show for it.

There’s a LOT more that goes into a successful marketing plan. This episode is my attempt to give you a full look into what goes into a top-down appro

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen threads in forums and groups devolve into chaos over one topic: free work.

Some say you should always do free work.

Others say you should never work without pay.

The reality is, free work has no absolutes to it. Sometimes it’s a benefit for your business, while at other times it’s a detriment.

The key is learning how to recognize when doing free work is good and when it isn’t.

Listen now to learn how free work could fit into your audio bus

With unprecedented amounts of businesses shutting down worldwide, it’s time for us to talk about business basics.

For a business to make it through tough times, they have to have to understand cash flow.

Failing to understand why this is important, or how to have a positive cash flow, will result in an unstable business.

Listen now to find out how you can adjust your business practices to ensure you have a positive cash flow to keep your heads above water in 2020 and beyond!

“What should I name my studio? Should it be my personal name or should I pick another name?”

People ask me questions like this at least twice per month

I’ve answered it dozens of times on group coaching calls inside The Profitable Producer Course, and this episode is my attempt at never having to answer this question again.

I have four requirements for naming any business. As long as you follow these rules, you’ll be good to go.

Too many audio engineers start off by offering cheap services and are then shocked when their clients leave as they raise prices.

Others are so inundated with work that they can’t keep up but are unable to outsource what they need to keep the business running smoothly.

Do either of those sound like you?

Listen now to learn how to ensure that your business is on the correct track so you don’t have to do mixes for $50 a pop, or deal with headache clients because they’re your only high-paying cl

Think fast: Can you tell me what your business provides in 20 seconds or less without fumbling your words or pausing to think?

If not, how do you think you come across to the person you just met if you can’t clearly articulate what it is that you do?

You have to be able to help your client see how you are the bridge between where they are now and where they want to be.

Listen now to learn how you can DeFuck your marketing and finally get clients to understand the value you bring to their lives.

Online mixing is a red ocean. Thousands of studio owners are now trying to compete for the same pool of clients online, and only the strongest survive.

By creating a business that operates in a blue ocean, you can worry more about providing an amazing experience and less about how to “market” your way to success.

Listen now to find out how you can harness the power of The Motown Model to grow your business in a blue ocean market!

Every single industry sees the cycle of Life, Death, and Rebirth. Ours is no exception.

We’ve been in a cycle of death since 2008, and have slowly been shifting to the cycle of Rebirth in the form of home studios.

COVID has sped up the inevitable end of the old-school recording industry, and business will never look the same again.

Listen now to hear our discussion about Life, Death, and Rebirth in our recording industry, and how to make sure you’re still around to be a part of the next cycle

If you’re constantly struggling to find more clients, there’s more to marketing your studio than simply “getting the word out” about your business.

Do your leads know you? Do they trust you? Do they like you?

If not, this is a major problem that you need to solve.

Listen now to find out how you can use go-giver marketing to jumpstart a relationship with fresh leads to help grow your business!

Mastering is a dark art that the average person has no idea how to comprehend.

Because of this, it can be a struggle to build a thriving, steady, sustainable mastering business.

How do you stand out from the crowd as things get more and more crowded?

How do you get clients to give you a chance?

How can you get your first handful of clients?

Listen now to learn from how Chris Graham grew his mastering studio to six figures.

You have a solid website, a badass portfolio, and people are starting to show more and more interest in hiring you.

Now you need to turn those leads into clients.

If you want to start closing sales like a badass, make sure you have five key systems in place to make this easier… even if you suck at “selling yourself”.

Listen now to learn what these systems are and how you can implement them to give your business the boost it needs!

Whether you’re relying on word-of-mouth, cold outreach, organic social media, or paid advertising, the way you set up your Instagram profile can make or break your efforts.

That’s why this week we brought on Brandon Brown of Media Whisper to share his expertise about all things Instagram.

Listen now to find out how to set up a social media presence that helps you pre-sell clients before they’ve even contacted you.

Out of sheer curiosity, I checked the Facebook Ads platform to see how much I’ve spent on advertising so far.

$254,336.67

This has all been done with a 2.65x return on ad spend (i.e. I make $2.65 for every $1 spent).

The result is that all of my businesses have benefited from what I’ve learned during this journey.

In this episode, I want to talk you through what I learned, how it applies to your studio, and what you can do to start unf*cking your marketing funnel.

Right now struggling studio owners have two choices:

Choice A: You can stick your head in the sand, complain about the end of the world, and wait around for months until this is all over.

Choice B: You can take action to turn things around by understanding that just because things are bad for some people (let’s be real, many people), doesn’t mean that you can’t get clients!

Mark Eckert is kicking ass in the indie-pop world.

Listen now to find out how you can do the same for your business

I’ve seen businesses in similar niches, with similar resources at their disposal, and similar family lives who are in completely different places only 1 month into this quarantine.

One is falling apart.

The other lost all of their upcoming projects, but they’ve decided to pivot their business to something they can still do remotely.

Why is there such a big difference between these people?

It all comes down to mindset.

Nothing else matters if your mindset is fucked.

Now, more than ever, many studio owners have an abundance of free time on their hands.

What you do with that free time is going to separate the winners from the losers when this is all over.

Which side do you want to be on?

Listen now to learn 5 things you can work on today to make sure your studio is ready for the onslaught of customers tomorrow!

The audio industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis. Studios around the world have had their bookings wiped out, and everyone’s scrambling to adapt.

So, what can we do to make it through this crisis and come out of it stronger than we were before?

With no slowdown in sight for COVID-19, there is still a light at the end of the tunnel that we need to keep moving toward.

Listen now to find how you can adapt your business so that you make it through this crisis as strong as ever.

This virus isn’t going away soon. As things continue, reality becomes bleaker and bleaker.

But it doesn’t have to mean the end of your business!

Joe Wadsworth's business has over 30 audio engineers and producers on staff, and he’s in the process of hiring more simply because he can’t keep up with the amount of work coming in.

Listen now to find out what sets Joe’s business apart from all the other recording studios who are struggling right now so you can make it through this crisis.

The audio industry has always been one to change quickly due to advances in technology, however, this is the first time we’ve ever been forced to rapidly adapt due to a virus.

Fortunately, you can create a business that will not only put food on the table for you and your family, but also let you continue working from home until the COVID chaos dies down.

Listen now to find out how you can build a business that will let you survive the coming months without having an existential crisis.

This isn’t a bullshit clickbait episode title. We ALL do these two things, and they’re potentially wrecking our businesses, personal lives, and relationships.

This first step to recovery is understanding what these two things are. The second step is admitting that you do these things.

Listen now to find out what these two things are, how they affect your lives, and what you can do to stop.

Listen now to find out how you can earn more per hour, increase your productive time, and start growing your business to new heights.

Listen now to find out how you can create high-class proposals and drive your leads to become clients without spending an arm and a leg.

If you have questions about running your business, you aren’t alone. Even experts strive to improve by constantly investing in their education.

To answer some questions you might have, we’ve collected questions from the Group Coaching Calls asked within the Profitable Producer Course community and are presenting them here for you.

Listen now and think about what applies to you so you can use the things you should use, but don’t jump into anything that wouldn't be worth it for your specific busin

Whether it’s because of social anxiety, awkwardness, or stubbornness, audio engineers tend to play the lone wolf.

We’d rather sit in our dungeons and mix than actually speak to another human.

What if I told you that being a social troglodyte isn’t the fastest or most-effective way to move your business forward?

John Ruben is a fantastic example of what you can do when you surround yourself with incredible people.

Listen now to learn how John went from rapping to selling a company to Disney

It seems like you’re working every waking hour of every damn day, but your income hasn’t budged.

As a matter of fact, your income has been stagnant for the past 3 years.

What the hell do you do to fix this?

Welcome to Jim Stewart’s life 12 months ago. He was in this position – trying to figure out what the hell he could do to get himself out of a three-year rut.

Listen now to find out how Jim doubled his income in 1 year.

Do you struggle with niching down and finding what you’re “made” to do?

Maybe it’s just you being a stubborn engineer personality…

Some of the most popular businesses in the world almost failed but because they were willing to pivot and focus on a new ideal customer they’ve become massive successes.

Listen now to hear Chris Graham and Andy J. Pizza of Creative Pep Talk discuss finding what you’re born to do!

As an engineer in a small town, sometimes you just hit a wall…

You’ve worked with everyone, and even with repeat clients, you can’t earn more money in your current situation.

So what do you do?

Move halfway across the country and start giving donuts to people working at music studios…

You may just end up getting a Grammy nomination and working with Kanye West.

Listen now to find out how you can follow in the footsteps of Jesse Ray!

Do you have problems talking to your clients?

Do leads (potential clients) balk during negotiation, costing you the deal?

By asking questions you can lead your clients and leads gently to the conclusion that you want them to find so they don’t get defensive or feel threatened.

Questions also let you solve their problems more easily because you know exactly what they’re trying to accomplish with their music.

Listen now to find out how you can improve your business by asking the right question

Are you stuck in a dead-end, draining, stressful job with bad hours that you just want to quit? Is the only thing stopping you from leaving that job to pursue audio the fact that you need the money? Chances are, it might be easier than you think to swim in a blue ocean instead of drowning in the red ocean. Listen now to find out four different ways Chris and Brian would start a successful audio business if they were starting from scratch in 2020!

Can you feel the rising tide? The world of online mixing is becoming more and more saturated with engineers who all do the same thing.

Are you one of those engineers, drowning in the masses?

Listen now to find out how you can set yourself apart from everyone else so you can be in a blue ocean by yourself rather than the red ocean filled with sharks.

Have you been waiting for some magical moment to raise your rates?

Maybe you think you need a Grammy before you’ll be able to charge more, but the reality is, you may be ready NOW.

Every day that you put this off is a day that you’re missing out on earning more, weeding out bad clients, and achieving a better work/life balance.

It can be scary, but if you follow the advice we share here, you may be pleasantly surprised.

In fact, it could be the best thing you’ve ever done for your bu

You’ve hit a wall… You just aren’t getting enough clients… There’s only a small trickle of people coming through your door…

Marketing sounds like a great idea, right?

Think again!

Marketing a subpar product will result in a subpar response. Even if you’re an amazing engineer, chances are there’s something you can improve in your business so you can earn more money in an efficient manner, without jumping straight to marketing.

Listen now to hear how you can improve your business s

Most audio engineers are prone to having the personality of a technician.

Cold, ego-filled, and always right, we have a reputation of being difficult to work with.

To be a successful business-owner, technicians need to learn how to balance their personalities can all co-exist with the inner artist.

Learn how you can successfully pacify each of your conflicting personality traits to run your business while making friends and keeping clients happy by listening now!

When your business hits a plateau and your income has stagnated (or worse, decreased) it can be a stressful, terrifying time.

Let’s fix that – find out 5 reasons for plateaus in your business, and how you can solve the problem so you can continue growing your business!

You hustle and grind–day in and day out…

You work so much that you often forget to eat, or worse, your meals consist of potato chips and soda.

That’s just how life is, right?

By neglecting yourself you are digging a hole… deeper and deeper and deeper.

It’s time to take a step back, reset your focus, and take care of THE most important part of running your business… you.

But what exactly is self-care?

Learn how the right balance of stress+rest can be rocket fuel for your studi

In 2012, I had my first nightmare client when it came to revision requests.

I was mixing 5 songs for a band, and it turned into one of the worst projects of my life.

I had entered Revision Hell.

If you’ve never experienced anything like this, I envy you.

It’s only a matter of time before you experience a project like this.

The good thing is that it forced me to re-evaluate how I handled the revision process...

Today, we’re going to discuss how to keep this from ever happening to

As an audio engineer, you probably think in a very specific way… Along the lines of “this is what I do, and this is how I do it.”

But what if a client expected you to do a little something different?

That’s what happened to Brandon Rike, a merch designer turned creative director when Twenty One Pilots expected him to do all of their graphics work.

Now, Brandon consistently works with some of the biggest names in music...

Listen now to find out how Brandon built a great business.

Are you sick and tired of chasing leads to get more work?

Do you come across songs you worked on a year ago only to see it has 5 million streams… and you weren’t credited?

For some, passive referrals are a huge potential source of leads…

Are you one of the many audio entrepreneurs missing out on tons of potential clients?

Find out how to start getting more passive leads today!

Seth Mosley’s audio career can be considered “successful” in every sense of the word. His accolades include a Grammy Award, 25 number one singles, Producer Of The Year from Billboard Magazine, as well as Songwriter of the Year Awards from SESAC and The GMA Dove Awards.

Listen to this week’s episode to find out how Seth went from recording friends in his parents' basement in Circleville, Ohio, to building a seven-figure audio business without any formal training.

Do you struggle with remembering the lessons you learned from books, videos, and lectures in the past year?

What about the last few months, or even days?

What good is self-education if you can’t actually recall what you learn?

Ready to find a better learning method that really does work? Find out how you can retain more of the content you take in by listening to this week’s episode!

Have you struggled with having a steady stream of incoming leads for your studio?

You’ve thought about starting a podcast… but failed to take action because “it’s just so over-saturated already.”

Wrong.

The industry is just getting started. If you can jump on this content bandwagon now, you’ll be setting your business up for success in your niche over the next 5+ years.

Take a listen to this episode and find out how and why you should start a podcast!

Most audio engineers think of themselves as the hero who can solve all of a band’s problems. The “all-knowing mighty source of knowledge” to the lowly pleb musician.

If that’s you, you’re doing it wrong.

As a producer/engineer/whatever, you’re better off playing the role of the guide, while understanding that your client is the hero.

If you can adjust your business to become the guide who helps your clients along their journey, you’ll be adding more value to your relationships with

You’ve been asking for this for a long time…

It’s something that has the potential to change your life…

But only if you take action because this episode is the “advice buffet” to the extreme.

This episode is a list of Chris and Brian’s favorite books that have influenced their lives and could potentially do the same for you!

Which books are right for you? Take a listen now to see which ones might fit your situation, and which might not.

Also, Brian recorded a really stupid intro

Vegetarians and vegans avert your ears… Today we’re killing cows.

Before you report us to PETA, hold up! We’re talking about figurative cows – sacred cows and their close relatives the purple cows.

But what do these terms mean in the audio industry?

Find out what they are, and why you might need to slaughter a sacred cow on the road to becoming a purple cow on this week’s episode!

In a huge announcement last week, Spotify confirmed they purchased SoundBetter.com for an undisclosed amount.

What does this mean for audio engineers across the globe?

Is SoundBetter worth joining as an audio professional? Is there a boatload of money to be made, or should we stay away?

Find out the potential pros and cons of this acquisition and how it could affect your career by listening to this episode today!

Your mind is constantly filled with doubts. You second-guess yourself about everything.

Every time you hit a roadblock in life, you crumble. You feel like an imposter when it comes to running your studio.

How can you change this?

There’s no silver bullet, but there are positive mindsets you can nurture in order to stave off the negative thoughts in your head.

Find out how to improve your mental health, your life, and your business with four positive mindsets by listening to this episode

You always struggle to make progress in your business.

Everyone seems to be against you.

You can’t hire anyone because they’ll never do it as well as you can.

You simply can’t bring yourself to leave the security of your day job.

These are all symptoms of negative mindsets that are holding you back from your full potential as an audio engineer and entrepreneur!

Listen to this episode now to find out how you can identify and eliminate 5 toxic mindsets that are ruining your chances of suc

Are you one of the people who build incredibly complex systems to make your business more efficient, only to have the system break every other day?

Or are you the person who does lots of work to avoid doing other work, like promoting your business?

Learn how to avoid over-complicating your business and leave your fear of failure in the dust by listening now!

So you’ve spent time working on your business… You’re at the point where you’ve saved time where you can, but you still need more customers to grow your income.

Without customers, this is just a hobby. It’s time to focus on 3 different areas you can work on to improve your long-term income.

Take a listen to part two of this series to find out how you can work ON your business to get more clients!

You’ve heard us talking about working ON your business rather than IN your business time after time…

But what should you actually be doing during that time?

In part 1 of this topic, we give you specific things you can do now in order to save time for the rest of your career.

The goal of this episode is to help you win back your time so that you’re able to re-invest that time into your business.

You’ve invested thousands of dollars in gear, and you’ve been busting your a$$ to get clients, but it’s been a struggle to get them at a fair rate.

To make things worse, the guy down the street started doing $5 mixes.

What should you do?

Join us to discuss the topic of $5 Craigslist mixes, what you “should” be charging, and how to compete with the lowball competition in your area.

You’re the most frugal shopper, spending hours clipping coupons, comparing prices down to the penny at the store, and maximizing your savings…

If you’d just saved that hour you clip coupons every week, and sent someone else to the grocery store for you, you’ll have another hour of time to work on or in your business.

Every time you make a choice, you are setting your priorities and you may be inadvertently costing yourself money or time by making the wrong choice – even if it seems the right

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 Recording Revolution as he talks about potential solutions and fail-safes to make sure that you can survive difficult times!

As a business owner, there are thousands of different problems you could face during your career.

Many entrepreneurs try to figure out the answers themselves…

But that’s 100% the wrong move!

In The Six Figure Home Studio Community on Facebook, thousands of studio owners interact and support each other to help to build their businesses.

This week on the podcast, Brian and Chris tackle some of the biggest problems studio owners like you face every single day. Don’t miss out!

Every single month, hundreds (or thousands) of people are checking out your studio’s website.

95% of those people will never contact you in any way, shape, or form.

They simply weren’t ready for your service when they found you.

What if I told you there was a way you could stay top-of-mind with those thousands of leads for around $30/mo?

Enter the #1 most effective way to spend ad dollars.

If you have a limited budget, don’t waste it on marketing to cold leads. Try retargeting!

So you’ve spent hundreds or even thousands of dollars on advertising your studio…

But not much has come from it.

You might think there’s an issue with your website, or worse, your portfolio – but that’s probably not the case.

What you might need is a lead magnet.

When you’re advertising your studio, trying to sell directly through ads is highly inefficient.

By using lead magnets, you can build relationships with people who see your ads, as well as leads who come to your site organ

Do artists constantly turn you down due to price?

Are you losing projects to other competitors that are simply undercutting your rates?

If so, this episode will walk you through how you can charge 10x more than your competition and STILL win the project.

Do you ever have a sudden urge to do something, even if it might turn out to be a bad choice in the long run?

Maybe you’ve bought gear using debt...

Two years later, not only do you regret buying the gear, but you’re still paying for it!

Thinking about delayed gratification is key across many different aspects of your life.

Maybe it’s a relationship, maybe it’s your business, or maybe it’s your mental health…

But most of the time, making the hard choice now will be better in the l

If you’re stuck in the vicious cycle of lowering your rates just to win enough projects to make it through the month, there IS a way out.

It’s called value-based pricing.

Find out how to improve client relations, your hourly earnings, and even your conversion rate, in this episode of The Six Figure Home Studio Podcast!

To fully enjoy this episode, read Breaking the Time Barrier first: https://www.freshbooks.com/fbstaticprod-uploads/public-website-assets/other/Breaking-the-Time-Barrier.pdf

How often do you send out a quote, only to be ghosted?

It’s super frustrating to be “dating” a potential client, putting time and effort into the relationship, writing a good proposal, and then never hearing back.

And chances are, it happens to you a lot.

But there’s a very simple way to prevent this and potentially double your yearly income.

How?

You need to master the art of following up.

People will hire whoever is top of mind – and if you’re not top of mind, you’ve alread

Let’s say that you now have a great website, and you’re a good engineer who is praised by his clients…

But you’ve discovered another problem.

Even though you have a good flow of customers, the clients you really want are turning you down!

You’re probably thinking, “WHYYYYY?”

What it comes down to is your messaging doesn’t apply to the clients you’re trying to get.

Learn how to create a customer avatar for your studio by spending some time with The Six Figure Home Studio Podc

Last week we talked about removing chokepoints from your website so it’s fully optimized for visitors…

All your friends and clients who see your site think it’s absolutely fantastic…

But you have a different problem...

You only get a handful of website visits every month, if that.

Now that you have a nice website, what do you do to get actual human beings to check out your site?

It’s not easy, but you can find out 11 ways to increase your website traffic with “free” or paid mark

So you spent hours and hours carefully crafting your website. Your friends and clients tell you it looks great.

The only problem is that no one is filling out the form on your website to get in touch with you.

What the hell is going on?

It could be a few things, but the most common are pretty simple to figure out… If you know what to look for.

Find out why and how you need to optimize your site to ensure you have a sustainable business that can last into the future!

Every single person has strengths and weaknesses. It’s what makes us human.

Weakness isn’t necessarily going to hurt your business or ruin your life.

The silent killer, however, is our blindspots.

The reason they’re so harmful is that we can’t do a damn thing about a problem that we don’t know exists.

This episode is all about answering this question: How can you find your blindspots before they wreck your career?

“I’m a failure. I should just give up. This industry is oversaturated. I will never be good enough”

If you’ve ever had thoughts like this, then you may have a dangerous condition known as a “Fixed Mindset.”

It’s extremely important for your business, your career, and your life, that you don’t wave a white flag before you even try!

Instead, there’s something called a Growth Mindset.

In this episode, Andy J. Pizza explains how to make the switch from a Fixed Mindset to a Growth M

We’ve all seen musicians or athletes who seemed to have “all the right stuff”.

We’ve also seen the musicians and athletes who, on the surface, seemed like nothing special.

Whether it takes you 1 year or 10 years to become successful in audio, one thing matters above all else: If you give up, burn out, or go broke before you have a chance to succeed, you’ll never make it.

You have to set yourself up for a sustainable career.

Have you been waiting for a magical moment to raise your rates?

Maybe you think you need a Grammy before you’ll be able to charge more, but the reality is you may be ready right NOW.

Every day that you put this off is a day that you’re missing out on earning more, weeding out bad clients, and achieving a better work/life balance.

It can be scary but if you follow the advice we share here, you may be pleasantly surprised.

In fact, it could be the best thing you’ve ever done for your busi

If you had cancer, who would you rather go to for treatment?

The Specialist: Someone who been working with the exact type of cancer you have for the past 30 years and has an amazing reputation…

Or…

The Generalist: Someone who can “treat any type of cancer, and detail your car, and fill cavities, and help you invest in the stock market.”

You’re never going to put your life into the hands of The Generalist.

Your business probably has more in common with The Generalist to than The Spec

Be honest with yourself for a second...how stressed are you? Does stress affect your work, life, relationships, and/or business?

What about anxiety? Do you have a constant cloud of anxious emotion following you throughout your day?

If so, there are things you can start putting into place to reduce, eliminate, and prevent stress and anxiety in your life. In this episode, we talk about our 5 favorite ways to stop stress and anxiety before it starts.

Brian records an episode in Florence, Italy, in his triumphant return to this podcast. Topics covered include how you can balance your work/home life while working from home, and what boundaries you might need to have in place to make your family life a success!

Life transitions like getting married or having a child have a massive impact on your living situation, and being prepared for those changes is key to a happy life.

In this first-ever solo-hosted episode of The Six Figure Home Studio Podcast, Chris tackles the issues of impostor syndrome and how you can overcome it. Since this is a topic many audio engineers struggle with, it’s required listening!

In this episode you’ll discover: Why impostor syndrome uses a false premise to psych you out How artists face the same issues with impostor syndrome What you can do to mitigate the fears that impostor syndrome causes Why impostor syndrome is a high school bully

Trevor Hinesley, best man of Brian Hood and Founder/CTO of Soundstripe, joins Chris on the podcast while Brian is traveling through Europe on his honeymoon. Some of the topics discussed include sync licensing, Spotify and streaming royalties, and Brian’s most embarrassing moment.

Björgvin Benediktsson joins Chris and Brian to discuss the importance of email marketing and some steps you can take to improve your email skills.

Joe Gilder of Home Studio Corner joins Chris and Brian to chat about building a YouTube channel, adding value, and why sales experience will help you immensely in your career.

Dive in as Joe shares his story to find helpful info abound. Listen to the podcast now!

Learn how to get clients on Instagram, and turn them into recurring income in our interview with Mark Eckert.

Mark Eckert joins Chris and Brian to discuss his success using unique methods in everything from education to business. He’s now the go-to-guy in his niche and can afford to be extremely selective with who he works with.

To find out more about how Mark has made a successful career for himself, and how you might be able to use so

If you’re a regular listener, you’re well aware that The Six Figure Home Studio Podcast is an advice buffet. This week, Chris and Brian take it to the next level and offer a plethora of quick tips to help you in your studio.

Which ones will apply best to you? Find out by listening now!

Learn about where the music industry is headed, why going to conventions and conferences will boost your career, and why being a gearslut is going to be even less profitable in the future.

Do you come across a TON of broke bands? Do the artists you spend weeks recording get ANY traction with their music? Are your recordings ACTUALLY being enjoyed by a large audience?

Chris and Brian interview Chris Greenwood, aka Manafast, about artist development. If you take the time to A. Help artists fund their music B. Help them market their music so it ACTUALLY gets heard and C. Connect them with industry experts that can help their career, you can help your career immensely.

If they win, you win.

In this episode of The Six Figure Home Studio Podcast, Chris and Brian discuss the importance of having a financial scoreboard for your business and what it can do to motivate you or keep you in check.

Every business needs to have a scoreboard, and studios are no exception. Listen to the episode now!

Brian and Chris discuss the ever-changing environment of the music industry and discuss their prediction of the state of the industry for the coming years.

In 2019, artists are figuring out that content needs to be released on a regular schedule. Don’t be like the major labels in the early 2000s and stick your head in the sand — adapt, stay ahead of the curve, and profit off this trend before everyone else!

In this episode of The Six Figure Home Studio Podcast Chris and Brian talk about 6 of the most important questions you have to ask yourself to make the most of your audio career.

If you neglect to ask these questions, you might be entirely unaware of what’s wrong with your business — or worse, burying your head in the sand, hoping the problems disappear.

In this episode of The Six Figure Home Studio Podcast, Chris and Brian discuss fear. Whether we realize it or not, everyone has a fear that is holding them back from making progress in their life.

Even Chris and Brian open up and share their fears, showing that fear is ever-present, no matter where you are in your career.

How can you overcome fear? Listen to this episode to find out!

In this episode of The Six Figure Home Studio Podcast, Chris and Brian discuss the importance of your portfolio and how you can build yours to showcase your best work.

Without a portfolio, a studio will have no way to show what they are capable of and anyone browsing the studio’s website will likely move on to the next option. A weak portfolio is just as bad. Make sure you absorb the content in this episode!

Chris Graham and Brian Hood are joined by Austin Hull, a full-time producer from our own Facebook community. In this holiday-postponed episode, you can learn how Austin harnessed his own Facebook community to act as a nearly-endless source of leads — even though he never intended it to be one in the first place.

Find out more about this impressive feat by listening to this episode of The Six Figure Home Studio Podcast.

In this episode, Chris Graham and Brian Hood discuss three main business models you can use to build your studio to six figures. Though you can try to use several models instead of choosing one, it is typically easier to focus on just one.

Listen in to hear the pros and cons of the three business models which could boost your studio to new levels if executed correctly!

Brian and Assistant to the Regional Manager, Chris, discuss a big topic for people worldwide: debt. Many people struggle with debt, and Brian and Chris have had their fair share of experience on the topic. They give their advice on the matter so you can learn from their mistakes.

In this episode of The Six Figure Home Studio, Chris rants about irresponsible business partners and contractors. Brian brings the discussion around to talk about the three business beliefs that can make or break your business.

Listen to the episode to hear Chris and Brian discuss the ways that you can nurture or kill your business.

In this episode of The Six Figure Home Studio Podcast, Chris and Brian talk about the danger of getting stuck ripping off someone else’s work.

To have a long-lived career in audio, you have to ensure that what you’re doing is unique and original to you. Imitation is not the way to go for long-term success, though it may be necessary when you’re first starting out. Listen to the episode to find out more!

What does your studio have in common with the neighborhood dealer? You might be surprised!

In this episode of The Six Figure Home Studio Podcast, Chris and Brian discuss how you can adopt a drug dealer’s business model to hook people on your studio’s services for life.

Listen to the episode to find out more!

Deviating from the norm, Chris and Brian do away with the Gearslut Alert and devote an entire episode to gear. They discuss the obvious interfaces and microphones, but also tools to make productivity while traveling easier, desks, and more. Listen to this episode of the podcast to find out what tools they recommend for every studio owner, the answers might surprise you!

In this episode of The Six Figure Home Studio Podcast Brian Hood and Chris Graham discuss the benefits of a do not do list. Having this list and checking it twice before moving on to your to-do list can help you structure your day and life in a much better fashion to become more productive.

Listen to the episode now to find out the benefits you can reap following this system!

Chris Graham and Brian Hood discuss the abysmal track record audio engineers have in their relationships, both personal and business.

Find out some key tips on how you can improve your relationship skills to improve your business and your life simultaneously!

In this episode (recorded live in The Six Figure Home Studio Facebook Community), Brian and Chris discuss a dilemma faced by many engineers: artists who wish to record themselves.

With more and more artists choosing the DIY option these days, how can you add value to them while still providing a service that they can’t do themselves?

In this advice buffet, podcast hosts Chris Graham and Brian Hood discuss how you can make your business stand out from the crowd. Find out why you need to be unique and what the best methods of doing differentiation are.

Answering this one question will set your studio leaps and bounds ahead of the “me too” studio down the road.

In this episode you’ll discover:

Why having a side hustle isn’t selling out Why you need to consider what your side hustle is so you don’t devalue your studio work What skills can be gleaned from side-hustles that benefit your studio Basic non-audio side hustles that can earn you cash Audio-related side hustles How you can harness the “sharing economy” as a side hustle The new business that will let you use your audio skills while helping home studio owners achieve their dreams

In this episode, Chris and Brian cover the importance of building a team not only for yourself, but for the added value to your clients. If you have the connections to a solid team of freelancers who you can refer artists to, you are adding value to both the artist and the freelancer, strengthening connections and creating a win/win/win situation.

In this episode of The Six Figure Home Studio Podcast, Chris and Brian go in depth with Graham Cochrane, founder of The Recording Revolution and www.grahamcochrane.com.

They discuss topics such as making time for the important things in life, tips for content marketing, and much, much more!

In episode 45 of The Six Figure Home Studio Podcast, Brian and Chris discuss the 80/20 principle. This is something that affects not only your business but your personal relationships, your health, your hobbies, and so much more.

Learn to harness the 80/20 principle so you can increase your income, happiness, and time available for the productivity in your life.

You will also learn how to use the 80/20 principle to reduce the negatives in your life, from toxic people to gear addictions.

In this episode, Brian and Chris cover the three hard conversations you need to have with every client in order to set the precedent from day one. These conversations will ensure your relationship can last not just through the project, but for the rest of your career.

Last week we showed you five different strategies you can use to generate leads for your studio. The problem is this...

If you don’t know the right way to convert someone from a lead into a paying customer, none of those lead acquisition strategies will matter.

In part two of this series, we’ll be discussing how to sell your services to these new leads in an ethical, effective, relevant way.

If you ask any struggling studio what their number 1 problem is, the answer will almost always be “we need more clients”. This is because no studio can survive without a consistent stream of paid work.

In this series, we’ll be tackling this issue head-on.

Our goal is for this series if for you have clarity on what steps you need to take in order to make this career an attainable goal instead of just a pipe-dream.

Striving towards a big overarching goal when starting your business is great to aim for. But without the ability to test and measure your progress along the way, there’s no way of knowing where you might end up.

Checklists may seem dull and boring, but the reality is this:

Checklists help you to systemize tasks in your business which frees you up to focus on the things that actually matter. The things that actually push the needle in your business.

In this episode, Brian and Chris explain their thought process behind some of the checklists in their business and how you can start implementing them in yours today.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, the popularity of video games like Fortnite and PUBG has exploded over the past year.

Is it possible to take what we learned from these games and apply it to running a business?

You bet your sweet ass it’s possible, so enjoy this ridiculous episode of The Six Figure Home Studio Podcast.

You cannot be successful if you fail to address what we call “single points of failure” in your life.

One of these alone could severely hamper your chances for success.

In this episode, we explore many different potential “single points of failure” in our lives.

We’ve all heard the phrase “the riches are in the niches”.... While this may be true, it’s important that you do a few specific things in order to make the most of your new audio niche.

In this episode, we give you a checklist of things you need to implement ASAP in order to give yourself the best chance for success.

Passive income is the Holy Grail of income types, but it’s something that eludes most audio entrepreneurs. Most of us simply trade dollars for hours.

One way to start building passive income is to venture into the world of sync licensing.

In this episode, we interviewed the CEO Soundstripe – a rapidly-growing micro sync licensing platform. He helps break down the wall of confusion and helps us make sense of what’s working in today’s world of sync licensing.

This episode is for anyone who’s ever gone “batch it crazy.”

Software has all but replaced the need for much of the popular hardware from 20+ years ago. What little hardware that is required to get started keeps getting cheaper and cheaper.

Recording budgets have been shrinking, and many major studios have shut their doors.

While many people have struggled and failed to adapt, massive opportunities have been opened up for the average home recording studio.

Working on BIG records for major artists is probably a dream for a lot of you and most likely a big reason why you got into this industry. The hard truth is that for most people, this won’t happen quickly.

So listen as Brian and Chris break down 5 audio niches that you maybe didn’t know existed and could take advantage of today (even if you’re trying to break into another niche).

Consistent income is something that all of us strive for but most of us struggle with. While there are plenty of ways to make money in the audio industry, how do you know which one is right for you?

Well in this episode, Brian and Chris break down the positives and negatives of the different ways that can help you pull in a consistent income.

Self-doubt is the biggest enemy to success that we see in our community. This is something that has prevented a lot of us from achieving our goals.

If you’re unable to get out of your own damn way, then no amount of marketing, gear acquisition, audio training, or networking will make up for it.

This episode explores the root cause of self-doubt, as well as some potential “seeds” of self-confidence that you can plant today in order to start the long journey of overcoming this crippling problem.

Whether you realize it or not, you negotiate with people nearly every day of your life. Even if you refuse to negotiation, you’re STILL using negotiation tactics. In today’s episode, you’ll learn 11 negotiation tactics you can use in your career today, in order to earn more.

So before you negotiate the rates on another project, buy another piece of gear, or sell off some unused equipment, this episode will help you improve one of the highest “dollar per hour” skills you could ever use.

We’ve all heard the quote “The right tool for the right job.” Well this especially true if you’re looking to optimize your business and grow it at an exponential level.

In this episode, Brian and Chris break down their 12 favourite tools that have helped them both grow their businesses to where they are today.

Warren Huart has worked with bands like The Fray, Korn, and Aerosmith, and he’s worked on movies like Inglourious Basterds and Transformers. Further adding to his clout is his success on YouTube. With over 196000 subscribers and 17,000,000+ views, his tutorials are some of the most popular you’ll find online. If you’re ever lucky enough to meet someone like Warren, it’s best to do a lot more listening than talking...

If you had the chance to run your studio out of a fancy commercial facility designed by Bill Putnam, would you take it? Most of us would jump at the chance...but is this the right move?

Matt Boudreau was given this chance in 2007, and in this interview, you’ll hear how this quickly shifted from an opportunity of a lifetime, to one of the lowest points in his career.

Building great systems into your business will eliminate many of the unnecessary friction points that are holding you back from reaching your true potential. In this episode, Brian and Chris break down the systems they use in their companies and why they think it’s important for you to implement them in yours.

In this episode, Chris and Brian live out a hypothetical scenario where they join the witness protection program, move to a new city and start their audio careers from scratch. Find out what they would do and how they would do it if they had to start all over again.

This episode challenges you to see the upside of selfless service to your clients. Brian and Chris offer ten ways to help connect with your artists on a more personal level, ultimately nurturing relationships and showing how selfless service can really change the way your artists respond to your services.

In this episode, we will talk about why paid advertising is an important skill to develop in this fast-changing recording industry. We also discuss who should be investing time, money, and effort in paid advertising, and who should NOT be bothering with it.

This episode also kicks off a new series where we interview people who took two passions and combined them in a way that created a unique niche. On this week’s episode, you will learn how Emily has used unique niche to work with hundreds of clients and build a life that has allowed her to do what she loves...day in and day out.

Whether you run a small home business or a large multi-million dollar business, you will run into roadblocks. Your ability to “figure it the f*ck out” will be a large reason behind whether or not your company is successful or fails miserably.

Trying to run a recording studio AND maintain your day job? We get it...quitting your day job is not an easy decision to make. You could end up ruining your life by jumping ship at the wrong time or in the wrong scenario.

The goal for this week’s episode is for you to have a better idea of whether it’s time for you to finally quit that damn day job or not.

Your studio’s website sucks and we can help.

Taxes have always sucked ass, and they always will suck ass. Unfortunately taxes are impossible to (legally) avoid if you’re a freelancer, and the repercussions for evading taxes far outweigh any benefits you could ever gain from cheating.

Everyone is going to be in different stages of their company but it’s important to know exactly what stage you’re in. Understanding these 5 stages and properly accessing which one you’re in is crucial for the next steps of your career.

When a new client contacts you, your immediate reaction is to take the money no matter what. The problem is that some projects can quickly turn into an absolute nightmare.

This episode of The Six Figure Home Studio Podcast talks all about how you can spot nightmare projects before they start. Instead of saying “yes” to every single project, learn how saying “no” just might be the best thing you can do for the long-term enjoyment of your career.

At some point in your career, you’ve probably experienced some form of burnout. It’s something everyone will experience at some point, and it can drain you both physically and emotionally.

Understanding exactly what you can do to minimize or eliminate burnout is crucial if you want to push past it and have a long-lasting, happy, and healthy career.

You’ve probably spent countless hours studying recording techniques, the nuances of different gear, and maybe even learning how to run your business effectively.

You probably have NOT put much thought into the effect your social skills have on your business. The thing is... social skills can have a much bigger effect on your income than any other single skill.

Your ability to get people to like you can go a long way when it comes to growing a home studio business.

Billy Decker is one of Nashville’s top country mix engineers and has worked with a large list of labels and independent artists. But more than just mixing, Billy is known to be one of the most kind, generous and passionate persons that you will ever meet.

Answer this question: When it comes to your studio, what is the one thing that you're known for? If you can't answer that, it may be time to find some way to "niche down".

Most people think that "niching down" means you’re going to be turning away money even when you aren’t making much to begin with.

The reality is this: Your fear is keeping you from seeing the bigger picture. "The riches are in the niches," so this episode is all about helping you choose a profitable niche to dominate.

We’ve got good news and we’ve got bad news...The bad news is that no matter how hard you work, there’s always someone in the world that will work harder.

The good news is that there’s a difference between working “hard” and working “smart”.

In this episode, learn all the ways you can use automation, delegation, or elimination to outsmart your hard-working competitors.

Are you tired of clients and tasks sucking the life out of you and your business?

Well in this episode, Brian and Chris give you seven specific boundaries you can implement today, that will positively impact your business and ultimately lead to a happier, healthier you.

This episode is all about harvesting your current motivation, and using that energy to implement long term healthy habits into your life.

When business is not going well for your studio, the initial reaction is that you need to "improve your marketing". The thing is...this is NOT the solution for most struggling studios. There is a very specific set of problems that need to be addressed in a very specific order. This episode covers each of those areas in detail.

In this episode, learn what a CRM is, why it’s absolutely essential that your home studio business implements one, and how you can use it to help grow your business in 2018.

This podcast series will be covering many of the topics that home studio owners need to learn about if they want ANY sort of sustainable career.

This podcast series will be covering many of the topics that home studio owners need to learn about if they want ANY sort of sustainable career.

Are Google and Facebook reviews REALLY that important for recording studio owners? In this episode learn how Chris Graham has managed to gather nearly 200 five-star reviews for his mastering studio, and how this sets him apart from his competitors.

In this episode, Brian and Chris discuss Brian’s story and how he went from recording local bands in his parents basement to becoming the successful entrepreneur he is today.

Chris Graham shares his story and how he went from living in “the hood” to becoming the successful six-figure business owner he is today.

In this episode, Brian and Chris discuss how the audio industry has undergone a MASSIVE change, and how this has opened up some great opportunities for you. They also shed some light on how educational resources, like podcasts, have been crucial to their success, and why going to audio school might not be the best investment.