#371: Why The Most Talented Freelancers Sabotage Their Own Progress
If you’re great at what you do…
If people look up to you, hire you, refer you…
And you’re still struggling with client acquisition…
You know what you SHOULD be doing.
So what’s holding you back?
Sometimes, after being so good at what you do for so long, the idea of starting something you might not be great at right away can feel uncomfortable.
We forget what it’s like to be a newbie, making mistakes.
And now? That fear of sucking again is keeping you stuck.
I get it… “marketing” can feel like a wild west with zero rhyme or reason.
Paid ads? I could end up donating money to Zuck for nothing.
Building funnels and automations? Seems complicated.
So it’s easier to stick with what you know.
Even if it’s not working like it used to.
How much is that inaction costing you? How much longer can you afford to NOT fix this?
But guess what… The people who grow the fastest are the ones willing to look dumb for a while. Willing to dare to suck.
This week’s episode is all about that feeling (and why being okay with sucking again is often the first step toward real growth.)
For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/371
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#370: Speed is King | Why Your Freelance Business Is A Hot Mess 🤮
You know that meme…
Charlie Day, crazed look, wall of string, pointing at chaos?
That’s the typical freelancer trying to make a decision.
A simple pricing change?
You’re mapping out lifetime value, market benchmarks, “CFO-level cost abstractions” (whatever the hell that means).
Meanwhile, someone else just ran a quick test, got a client, and moved on.
While one person’s “trying to decide on a niche”…
Another one has tested 5 different offers and actually figured out what will sell.
If you’ve been stuck in “procrasturbation”…
Tweaking your logo.
Updating your website.
Getting ready to get ready…
Instead of launching offers, testing, having conversations, and figuring it out by failing fast…
Listen to THIS EPISODE now.
And then DO SOMETHING. Move fast.
Speed is king.
And indecision is the tax you’re paying.
There’s a specific reason I’m bringing this up now…
Because I get so mad when I see freelancers getting stuck on this stuff when there is a simple path that leads directly to the 3% of clients who are ready to hire you right now.
Later this week, we’re offering something special to a handful of freelancers
And it might have something to do with us handing you our entire client acquisition system. That includes funnels, follow-up, CRM. And we're covering the software cost too.
More about that later this week.
In the meantime check out the episode.
For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/370
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#369: The CLOWNS Framework | 6 Red Flags That Mean You Should Walk Away From a Client
Just one nightmare client can ruin your business.
One soul-sucking, scope-creeping, micromanaging clown who drains your time, sanity, and confidence.
And the frustrating thing is, you probably felt the red flags on that first call (and ignored them)…
Thinking, “it’ll be fine”…
“I’m probably overreacting…”
“I can manage them, they really do need my help”…
And my favorite: “It’s good money.”
So you said yes (even though your gut said no).
And now they’re making your life miserable.
The solution?
Stop relying on “gut feelings” and use my simple scorecard that filters out the clowns and makes it easy to say “thanks, but no thanks.”
In this week’s episode, I break down the C.L.O.W.N.S. Framework 🤡:
6 red flags you must spot on your next sales call if you want to avoid the clients from hell.
You’ll learn how to sniff out the “red flag” clients that are more trouble than they’re worth.
For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/369
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#368: BANT For Freelancers | The Secret BS Detector For Bad Leads
Ever hop on a discovery call…
Only to find out they "might" be ready in 6 months, have no budget, and just want free advice?
Not only did you get your hopes up, you ALSO just wasted your time.
Yeah, it sucks - and today we’re going to fix it.
Way back in the 1960’s, IBM developed a pretty cool framework called BANT to weed out bad leads…
And in this episode, I’ve adapted it for freelance businesses.
This 4-question system will help you spot bad leads before you ever get on a call:
You’ll save hours each week by not chasing dead-end leads.
You’ll feel more confident on sales calls because you’re leading the conversation.
You’ll close more high-quality projects because you’ll be talking to the right people
For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/368
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#367: You’re Marketing Like A Big Dumb Stupid Idiot… Please Stop
You know those big dumb idiots in high school that pull the fire alarm? Yeah, that was me.
Turns out I was just practicing for my freelance career.
Because most freelancers treat marketing exactly like that fire alarm - you only pull it when everything's already on fire.
When the clients have dried up, the leads have dried up, and you're in full-blown panic mode.
Then things get busy again, the money starts flowing again, and something in your brain says, “We’re good, we don’t need to do this terrible ‘marketing’ thing anymore.”
So you stop. Throw yourself into the work. Deliver for clients. Ghost your social media and your leads…
3 months later? Things are on fire again. Cue the alarm bells and the frantic panic-posting.
This is the feast-and-famine cycle that is SO common - and that you yourself are fueling.
You know it’s dumb. Let’s fix it.
This week’s podcast episode is the third and final part in the “Big Dumb Stupid Idiot” Series, where I break down the 5 things that most creative freelancers are doing that keeps them stuck in the agonizing feast-or-famine cycle.
We’ll talk about:
Why most creative freelancers are SO allergic to marketing (and yet so very susceptible to it)
The truth about lead magnets (and other ridiculous marketing myths)
The "1-2-3" marketing routine that’s doable every day (even when you're swamped with client work)
For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/367
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 host Brian Hood and his guests as they explore topics such as mental health, finances, sales, marketing, time management, the digital nomad lifestyle, and more.
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