6 Figure Creative

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Latest Episodes:

#240: Robots to the Rescue: How AI Can Help Freelancers Land More Clients Feb 21, 2023

Show notes

I know the internet hasn't shut up about AI over the past couple of months, and you're probably thinking “dammit Brian, not another person talking about AI." But, hear me out...

Right now, AI isn't something to be afraid of, but actually, a tool that can be used by freelancers in a bunch of ways...

Having trouble figuring out how to fire a client politely after too many red flags? AI can help you.
Are you struggling to come up with ideas for what to post on social media? Again, AI can help you.
Trying to write an effective, non-cringe "about me" section for your website? AI can help you with that, too!

Of course, you could always do this stuff on your own, but why make things harder for yourself? It’s a hell of a lot easier to let AI do all the heavy lifting and simply go back to tweak some words here and there.

Instead of jumping on the pity party bandwagon of:

“ChatGPT is going to take our jobs!”

Or brushing it off as:

“This is just another crypto phase…”

The truth is, AI is here to help you, not to replace you (at least, not yet🤖).

Ready to take advantage of the opportunity that AI tools like ChatGPT can offer your business? Join me as I walk you through 9 ways to make ChatGPT and other AI tools work FOR you as a freelancer, not against you.

In this episode you’ll discover:

Why AI isn't the end of the world for most freelancers
How to use ChatGPT to respond to emails
Using AI to help choose your business name
Coaching AI to give the output you want
The power of AI in SEO
Creating social media content using AI
Crafting excellent ad copy by using Chat GPT

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/240

#239: She Used Puppet Shows And Sea Shanties To Grow Her Agency To $500,000 Per MONTH | With Becca Kingsbury Feb 14, 2023

Show notes

If I were to ask you to think of the most bizarre marketing ideas you could think of to get clients, what would you say?

I'd almost guarantee it doesn't include any of these:

Fax machine marketing…
Writing sea shanties…
Performing puppet shows in client meetings…
Cold outreach with homing pigeons???

These ideas are ridiculous, right?

Well, the creative marketing agency Dingus & Zazzy doesn’t think so. Their mantra is "no idea is a bad idea until we try it".

And you might say:

“There is no way these methods would work, they’re way too far out there!”

And to that, I'd say JUST LOOK AT THE NUMBERS…

Dingus & Zazzy are bringing in over $500,000 per month in recurring revenue.

Yes, you read that right… per MONTH.

And this isn’t just a good month. This is automatic, recurring revenue every single month!

Whether you have aspirations of earning $500,000 per month, per year, or even $50,000 per year, this conversation has applications for your creative business at any level.

Listen in on my eye-opening conversation with Becca Kingsbury, co-founder and COO at Dingus & Zazzy, about her mastery of the recurring unlimited business model, hiring over 150 creative employees, and scaling to nearly 8 figures per year by using… interesting marketing methods.

In this episode you’ll discover:

The reasons for Dingus & Zazzy's zany name
Offering unlimited work to your clients as a form of differentiation
Finding your pricing by shooting in the dark
Hiring the right people to support your company culture
Encouraging your staff to solve problems proactively
Using whacky ideas to make people remember your
When it's time to fire the customer
Calling your clients proactively to keep them active
Focusing on your newest clients for smooth onboarding

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/239

#238: How One Cold Email Resulted In $60,000 Of Referral Work | With Joana Galvão Feb 07, 2023

Show notes

I see a lot of creatives comparing themselves to their successful peers, saying things like:

“Oh they have more experience than me, that’s why they can charge higher prices…”
“They have a bigger network than me, that’s why they have more clients!”
"They niched down, but I don't want to do that because it's not fun".

While having experience, a network, and a niche are helpful to becoming a successful creative, I want to show you an example of how those things are NOT all required when you're early in your career.

Meet Joana Galvão.

Joana is the owner of the incredibly successful GiF Design Studios. When she launched her freelance design career straight out of college, her calendar was booked solid for 6 months...

Without years and years of experience…

Without a long list of contacts and relationships built up over time…

Withoutniching down...

Now that we have those excuses you had out of the way, listen in on my conversation with Joana to break down the concepts of lead generation, referrals, and how to thrive as a creative!

In this episode you’ll discover:

How Joana launched her brand new freelance career with a calendar full of paid projects
How she earned $2k in ten days to pay for an unexpected expense
The problems with accepting any request a potential client has
How to stand out (and get clients) as a generalist in a "red ocean"
How she's turned "word of mouth" into a strategy
Asking easy questions to get a response
The $60k cold email
Forming strategic relationships to grow your network
Handling cash flow problems in your business
Asking for referrals the right way
Ways to keep yourself accountable as a business owner

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/238

#237: The Creative Who Cracked The SEO Cheatcode (And Gets 1 Million Website Visitors Per Month) | With Jacob Cass Jan 28, 2023

Show notes

I know, I know, as soon as you hear “SEO,” you throw your headphones across the room and continue on with whatever fluffy, fun creative task you’ve been working on the past eleven hours.

While the technical jargon of SEO, marketing, and web traffic sounds boring as all hell, I’m here to suggest that you give it a chance.

The reason you should take a second glance:

Infinite…

Money…

OK, that's an over-exaggeration.

But just think about how many problems would be solved for you if you had 1,000,000 people coming to your website Every. Single. Month.

You'd never need to worry about making ends meet again. No more fumbling around on social media. No more endless barrage of cold email pitches.

If you are diligent about the SEO practices in this episode, you can develop completely organic traffic to your website (that means NO paid ads) and even monetize the visitors that show up through affiliate marketing.

Having worked with Disney, Omega, Nintendo, and many more big brands, Jacob Cass is THE guy to listen to when it comes to the secret sauce behind SEO.

If you haven’t quite hit that 1 MILLION site views per month milestone (like Jacob has), give this episode a listen!

In this episode you’ll discover:

How Jacob became a digital nomad before it was cool
Growing your business with focus and intent
Using affiliate marketing to boost your income
Scaling your business with SEO
Researching keywords for SEO ranking
The tools you can use for SEO ranking
Understanding domain ratings
Determining your entrepreneurial personality

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/237

#236: 5 Sets Of Skills Every Freelancer Should Be Improving | Full Stack Freelancer Pt. 2 Jan 24, 2023

Show notes

After covering the marketing, sales, and problem-solving skill stacks last week, we should be ready to knock our creative business out of the park, right?

Not quite yet...

There are a few more “non-creative” skill stacks that are essential to get right if you want to be a well-rounded and effective freelancer in 2023 and beyond.

Some creatives may look at these skills and say…

“These things don’t inspire me.”
“I only need to get better at my craft.”
“I’m bad at these, so I can’t improve them!”

If that sounds like you, then all I can do from the comfort of my sofa as I type this is facepalm. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Do you, your income, your business, and your clients a favor by at least giving this episode a shot.

I wholeheartedly believe investing time and energy into these 5 skill stacks will improve your relationships, increase your productivity, and help you earn more this year.

In this episode you’ll discover:

Focusing on a wide band of skills rather than the selfish "I band"
Making friends and maintaining relationships
The skill of having self-awareness
Combining focus and discipline
The dilemma of opportunity cost
Using tools to manage your time
Why you need systems and processes
Understanding your business's key performance indicators
Knowing how and when to hire staff

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/236

#235: Why You DON'T Need To Be A Better Creative in 2023 | Full Stack Freelancer Pt. 1 Jan 17, 2023

Show notes

Every year, I'm going to bet that your niche is getting more and more competitive.

There's always another music producer, photographer, designer, copywriter, developer, or videographer popping up out of nowhere... And the scary part is... They're actually really good at what they do.

What can you do to stay ahead of the competition?

Get better at your craft? Probably not...

Instead, you need to become a "Full Stack Freelancer" if you want to be a successful freelancer in 2023 and beyond.

There's a laundry list of other "noncreative" skills that will do somuch more for the success of your business, and in this episode, I’m going to delve into 3 of my most essential skill stacks to put you on the road to becoming a competent full stack freelancer this year. 🤘

In this episode you’ll discover:

Becoming a full-stack freelancer
The foundation of being a freelancer
Honing your marketing skills
Copywriting for small businesses
Basic design for freelancers
Understanding paid ads and funnels
The strategy behind your business' marketing plan
Confidence and conviction
Persuading leads that you are the best option (because you are)
FITFO in your full stack

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/235

#234: 9 Lessons I Learned While Building A New 6-Figure Income Stream In 2022 Jan 10, 2023

Show notes

What did I learn building a BRAND new 6 figure income stream last year?

Of course, the idea of building a new 6 figure income stream sounds great right?… until you’re a year in and still not making the progress you wanted to.

It feels like paddling toward an island that never seems to get any closer. Why not chuck the paddle and give up?

The good news is you’re not alone! I’ve been there, and no matter how bad it feels, slow and steady still wins the race.

“But Brian, you’re already successful, how can you relate to us beginner business owners?”

Well, I just started a BRAND new income stream in 2022, and I want to let you in on 9 specific actionable lessons that I learned (and re-learned) while building it to 6 figures.

Enough generic “here’s what I learned in 2022” talk, let’s dive into the nuts and bolts of exactly what I had to learn from $0 to 6 figures revenue in 2022!

In this episode you’ll discover:

Why slow and steady wins the race
Removing yourself from bad friendships
Choosing the right pricing
The wins paid advertising can provide
Fixing the bottlenecks you're facing
Keep growing your skills!
Don't run your business alone
Spend time creating a plan

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/234

#233: She Grew Her Freelance Business From $0 To $20k/mo In Under 4 Years | With Lydia Kerr Jan 03, 2023

Show notes

It's officially 2023, and this is the time of year everyone starts looking to the future of what's possible.

Is this the year you finally leave your day job behind?
Is this the year you finally crack $100k in revenue?
Is this the year you finally break $100k in profit?

Whatever your goal, one of the most helpful things I can do as a podcaster is show you someone who's accomplished all of these things in a relatively short amount of time.

Lydia Kerr of Telltale Design Co made the transition from "side hustle" to $20,000 per month in less than 4 years of starting her design business.

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 $500 project" freelancer to a "premium-priced $10k project" 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/233

#232: The 11 Must-Have Tools For Growing And Running A 6 Figure Creative Business In 2023 Dec 27, 2022

Show notes

I'm sure you already know how easy it is to get bogged down by the day-to-day tasks and admin work that comes with running a freelance business. You probably don't know all of the amazing tools out there that (when used correctly) will help you focus on what you do best... Create.

By leveraging the right tools, you can increase profits, reduce frustration, and create a sense of calm in your workflow. From project management and invoicing tools to marketing platforms and collaboration apps, we'll discuss my top 11 favorite tools every creative freelancer should have in their toolkit.

Whether you're just starting out as a freelancer or you're looking to take your thriving business to the next level in 2023, this episode is for you.

Listen now to learn how these tools can help you streamline your workflow, stay organized, and grow your business.

In this episode you’ll discover:

Why you should invest in the tools you need
The toxicity of the blue-collar mindset
Solving internal communication for your team
Staying on top of client relationships the easy way
How to keep productivity high as a freelancer
Bookkeeping made simple
Choosing the best payment provider
Saving hours per week on audio/video editing
Using your external brain to stay organized

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/232

#231: 6 Ways To Get More Clients In An EXTREMELY Competitive Industry Dec 20, 2022

Show notes

The sad reality for most freelancers is that they're just offering the same "copycat" services as everyone else around them. Because of this, they're stuck in a competitive hell.

This is called a "commoditized service".

Think about how you buy a commodity like salt and pepper... You look at the shelf and buy the first thing you see that matches your pricing expectation. As far as you're concerned, all the options are pretty much the same.

This is what it's like for freelancers. Anyone who's looking to hire a freelancer can literally "shop" Fiverr.com for dozens of different creative services where thousands of freelancers are competing with each other.

In the perfect world, you'd find a way to stand out and become a "monopolized service", but that takes a LOT of time, effort, and energy to develop the necessary skills.

The good news is that you can still thrive in an extremely competitive industry, and this week's episode will give you 6 ways to get more clients even as a copycat freelancer.

In this episode you’ll discover:

Why you need to stand out as a freelancer
The dangers of rock bottom pricing in commoditized services
Reviews vs. testimonials
Providing a premium service for your customers
Finding clients who know, like, and trust you
Digital relationships
The value of good copywriting for your business
Funnels for freelancers

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/231

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