#390: The 12 Freelance “Muscles” You’re Not Working Out
Just because you're making money doesn't mean you're thriving as a freelancer.
And if you're NOT making money? You're definitely not thriving.
Here's what a thriving freelance business actually looks like: stable income, financial runway so you can take a hit without panicking, no constant fires to put out, and you actually enjoy what you do.
Sound like your business right now?
Yeah. Didn't think so.
The second you started taking money for your skills, 12 critical roles appeared out of thin air in your business:
Fulfillment, sales, marketing, operations, accounting, project management, IT/tech, legal, client relationships, creative direction, management... and CEO.
In a big corporation, each of those has a department head, managers, and entire teams.
As a freelancer? That's all you, baby.
And if your business isn't where you want it to be, you're failing at exercising one (or more) of these muscles.
So how do you fix this?
That’s what this episode is all about.
You’ll discover:
The "treat it like the gym" framework for consistently working on the hard stuff you've been avoiding for months (or years)
How to identify which muscle is your biggest bottleneck right now and start strengthening it one hour at a time
Why emotions make you a great creative but a terrible business owner (and what to do about it)…
Can you make this work?
Wrong question.
The right question is: How can I make this work?
"Can I" is for dabblers. "How can I" is for people who actually succeed.
So pick your mountain. Set your gym time. And start climbing one hour at a time.
For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/390
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#389: How To Give Yourself A Raise In 2026 (In 4 Steps)
You know that massive to-do list in your head?
All those things you're "supposed" to do as a freelancer?
New website. Social media content calendar. Cold outreach. Warm outreach. Lead magnets. Funnels. Pricing revamp. Recurring revenue package. Portfolio update.
It's overwhelming as hell.
And oh by the way, 99% of that list doesn't matter right now.
Because your income isn't capped by all those things.
It's capped by ONE thing.
One bottleneck.
This is something called the Theory of Constraints, and it's the simplest framework I've ever seen for giving yourself a raise as a freelancer.
Your business has exactly ONE constraint holding you back right now.
Maybe it's time (you're booked solid but can't take on more clients).
Maybe it's lead generation (nobody knows you exist).
Maybe it's sales (you get inquiries but can't close them).
Maybe it's your average client value (everyone's worth $1,000 when they should be worth $5,000).
Maybe it's fulfillment (clients leave unhappy and never refer you).
Once you identify that ONE constraint and fix it, you get a raise.
Sometimes a massive one, like 20%, 30%, even 50%+ in a year.
Then a new constraint pops up. You fix that one.
Yay, you just got another raise!
It's literally whack-a-mole with your income, except every time you whack one you make more money.
In this episode, I walk you through:
The exact framework for identifying YOUR constraint
The five core functions every freelancer needs to master (in order)
The most common bottleneck for six-figure earners
The "Hormozi Holy Trio" that holds most freelancers back
How fixing one simple number can give yourself a 4x raise
This is one of those episodes where if you actually apply what's in it, you'll look back in 6-12 months and realize it changed everything.
For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/389
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#388: The 5 Hidden Dangers That Can Wipe Out a 6-Figure Freelance Business
You can spend years building a wildly successful six-figure (or multi-six-figure) freelance business...
Only to watch it crumble to dust.
Not because you sucked at your craft.
Not because you weren't talented enough.
But because you didn't defend yourself properly against a handful of silent killers.
One of these silent killers once cost me five weeks of work I had to make up for free.
(Could've been prevented. Wasn't. Sucked.)
So in this week's episode, I'm breaking down the five hidden dangers that can wipe out a six-figure freelance business (and more importantly, exactly how to defend yourself against each one).
Here's what we're tackling:
How to prevent burnout (you know, when you basically hate your clients and want to burn down your entire business) and recognize the warning signs before that happens.
The “give-a-mouse-a-cookie” problem that sucks away your profit (and one simple phrase that stops it).
The simple systems that keep you safe from the tax man (no, you can’t outsmart the system. Don’t try).
Legal essentials that protect your business (rare, but when they strike, they can wipe you out completely. Here’s how to stay out of the danger zone).
And the #1 completely preventable “silent killer” - payment issues.
You've worked too hard to build your business to let it get taken down by something completely avoidable.
Let's make sure that doesn't happen.
For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/388
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#387: How to Build a Portfolio That Attracts High-Paying Clients
Most freelancers think: "The more work I show, the more clients I'll attract."
But if you have a level 10 skillset working with level 5 clients…
Your portfolio is gonna look level 6 at best.
And it’s hard to level up your clients if your portfolio doesn’t match.
Is your portfolio all over the place?
Not showcasing work at the level you want to attract clients?
This week’s podcast episode will fix that.
You’ll learn:
How to beef up your portfolio if it’s still light or you’re just starting out
How to curate and uplevel your current portfolio to attract higher level clients
The secret ingredient that instantly makes your work look 10x more impressive
For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/387
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#386: The Goldilocks Pricing Rule for Freelancers (Not Too High, Not Too Low)
“Raise your gosh darn rates.”
I literally have a podcast episode with this title.
But that advice is not for everyone because raising your prices isn’t always the answer.
Every freelancer has a “Goldilocks sweet spot” for their pricing.
The perfect balance of rates that keep you booked, profitable, and sane.
Charge too much? You've got the "luxury mirage"… premium prices, but an empty calendar.
Charge too little? Welcome to the "bargain bin trap"… a packed calendar full of soul-sucking projects where you resent your clients and can barely keep your head above water.
This week’s episode is all about finding that pricing sweet spot that keeps you booked with better clients.
I’ll give you…
4 steps.
and 3 important metrics.
I break it all down on Episode #386: The Goldilocks Pricing Rule for Freelancers (Not Too High, Not Too Low)
For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/386
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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