6 Figure Creative Brian Hood

Navigating life as a creative freelancer is all about balancing what you love doing with what pays the bills.
It's often framed as "selling your soul", but really, it's about making tough choices: do you follow your passion or chase the cash?
For creatives, this dilemma is pretty intense. You've got the classic 'starving artist' on one side. They're rich in satisfaction but often struggle financially.
Then there's the other side - the freelancers who focus mainly on what brings in money. Sure, they might be doing better financially, but at what cost?
This week's episode explores each side in a search for finding a healthy balance between money and passion or the seasons of life that may be the right time to focus on money instead of passion.
Whether you're the classic "starving artist" or the money-focused freelancer, this episode is worth a listen.
In this episode you’ll discover:

Hobbies vs businesses

Are you motivated by passion or profit?

The importance of focusing on what your clients want

Giving yourself more free time by being profit-driven

Reducing your stress by becoming a profit-driven creative

Why passion-driven creatives need to change

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/305

Client acquisition is obviously an important part of running a freelance business because it’s how you make sure you keep getting paid every month.
Despite how obvious this is, many freelancers don’t take this seriously enough... and it shows when work dries up and you're back into the dreaded feast-or-famine cycle.
If you worked in a day job that decided to stop paying you for weeks or months at a time, you'd probably do something about it. However, many freelancers never do anything about this in their own business.
They just keep showing up to "work" week after week, month after month, accepting their fate.
If you'd like to be a better "boss" to yourself and actually make sure you get paid every month, this week's episode is all about avoiding some of the most common client acquisition mistakes
If you stop making these mistakes and start taking client acquisition seriously, you’ll have more stability, better projects, and fewer dry spells. What’s not to like about that?
In this episode you’ll discover:

Avoiding the basic mistakes that you make during client acquisition

Adding value as a freelancer

Why a high close rate is dangerous for your business

How to increase your sales with a high-quality follow-up sequence

Fix your pricing model!

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/304

In the final episode of this 4-part series, we're diving into one of the most powerful but often misunderstood methods of standing out from the crowd.
I saved the best for last.
This has been the "secret sauce" behind my all of my successful businesses, from freelancing, to Airbnb, to multiple software companies, and even podcasting.
Without this last piece of the puzzle, nothing I've tried would have worked, and I'd likely still be working at Gamestop for minimum wage (missing out on millions of $ in the process)
If you're ready to become absolutely indispensable to your clients, listen to this week's episode to the 6 Figure Creative Podcast.
In this episode you’ll discover:

The importance of specialization

Why niches work better than others

Conversion-focused web design as a differentiation method

Niching down vs. niching out

The advantages of pushing bad leads away

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/303

Want to know the 3 golden rules for winning more clients than your competition?
First off, forget about competing on price. It’s a dead-end street. Instead, focus on adding value in unique ways that don’t undercut your worth. It’s about quality, not the lowest bid.
Second, make sure your stand-out factors are visible from the get-go. Qualities like a "great client experience" or a "cool vibe" are awesome, but they only shine through after you’re hired.
You need something that grabs attention before that stage, something that makes potential clients think, “Yes, THIS is the right person for us,” before they even talk to you.
Third, K.I.S.S. (keep it stupid simple). Focus on one differentiator at a time.
In a sea of sameness, one well-defined trait can be your ticket to standing out. It’s not about being a jack-of-all-trades but a master of one.
Last week, we talked about the ways you can differentiate by brute force, which can be tough and pricey.
This week, let’s get into something more accessible yet equally powerful: building trust and credibility, especially through social proof. It’s about showing, not just telling, that you’re the real deal.
Social proof, like glowing testimonials or endorsements, can be a game-changer. It’s about having others vouch for you, and showing potential clients that you’ve delivered 🤩amazing🤩 work before.
This kind of proof doesn’t need to break the bank but does require effort and intentionality to gather and showcase.
In this episode you’ll discover:

Using social proof for differentiation

The impact of reviews on your business.

Asking for feedback and reviews

How to get case studies for social proof

Content creation to generate quote requests

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/302

Why should someone hire you vs alllll the other options they have?
If you don't have a good answer to that question yet, it's time to start working on it before the estimated 500 Million freelancers come online by the end of this decade.
This week I broke down 5 "Brute Force Differentiators" you can use to set yourself apart.
If you're trying to find more ways to stand out, this is a great start!
In this episode you’ll discover:

The three rules of differentiation

Why lowering your price will never help you


When you need to stand out to close the deal

Focusing on one point so you aren't spread thin

Types of differentiators

Why being the best doesn't matter

Why gear is not a good differentiator

Growing a better network to stand out

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/301

"But they do it for less".

If you've heard lines like that over the past year, get ready to hear it even more over the next 5-10 years.

Why?

Well here's a terrifying stat: There are an estimated 500,000,000 freelancers "coming online" by the end of this decade.

WTF can we do to set ourselves apart from all those people WITHOUT resorting to dropping our rates?

It all comes down to one unsexy word: Differentiation.

Why should someone hire YOU vs alllll the other options they have?

If you don't have a damn good answer for that, you're going to have a bad time...

Stick around for this new series where I'll dive into all the nitty-gritty on how to stand out, earn more, and keep doing what we love for the rest of your life.

In this episode you’ll discover:

How freelancing grew in recent years

Why should someone hire you?

How low pricing hurts you and all other creatives

The dangers of trying to appeal to everyone

Making sure we don't lose our creativity while running a business

The importance of differentiation in your business

For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/300