#364: Your Portfolio Looks Like a Cheesecake Factory Menu and It’s Embarrassing | The Portfolio Paradox

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

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

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

”Oh look — Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Because what this $5,000 problem really needed was a damn menu.” When you offer three-tiered pricing because “that’s how pricing psychology works, right?”… All you’re doing is giving your best clients more questions, more confusion, and a way to spend less money. You’re not a SaaS. You’re not a wedding cake. And tiered pricing? That's just ONE of six "big, dumb stupid idiot" pricing mistakes in this week's podcast episode. Step into the “Pricing Confessional” with me to talk about the mistakes we’re all kinda ashamed of: “I’m in a place where I say yes to anything I can get my hands on.” “I’ve generally undercharged throughout my career.” “I’ve allowed clients to negotiate lower rates.” “I would love to raise that rate but this is what I’m comfortable with right now.” “I have not had a very consistent pricing structure — everything has been too custom.” Sound familiar? You know it’s dumb. Let’s fix it. It’s time to STOP pricing like a big dumb stupid idiot and START being smarter about your pricing so you can actually attract and close those high-end clients you want. For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/366

You ever say things like… "Let me know if there's anything I can do" Or "Just keep me in mind"? Then you might be selling your services like a big, dumb, stupid idiot. (Yes, those were my exact words.) This episode kicks off a savage new series where I break down 8 ways freelancers ruin sales without realizing it.  You'll learn: Why your “nice guy” language is killing deals The simple question that filters time-wasters from real buyers How to stop being ghosted forever (seriously) If you’ve ever felt weird about sales or struggled to land high-paying clients, this episode will sting… in a good way. For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/365

Hey quick gut check: Is your portfolio a "highlight reel" or a "dumping ground"? If it’s the latter, you’re making the same mistake most freelancers make. You’re trying to be the Cheesecake Factory, with its 21-page menu with 250+ items on it. Your thought process is "there's something for everyone". And yet… no one knows what you’re actually great at. In this episode of the 6 Figure Creative Podcast, I call this out for what it is: The Portfolio Paradox: the more work you show, the fewer clients you actually land. In this episode, I’ll show you: Why your “impressive” portfolio isn’t converting The silent signals a cluttered portfolio sends to clients And how to fix it with a Greatest Hits-style approach that builds trust fast If you want clients saying “hell yes” instead of “next!"... listen to this episode. For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/364

Ever been to a spa?   You get a menu with 12 fancy options… and no idea which one you actually need.   Do you need the Ocean Quartz Detox Wrap for $149 or the Rejuvenating Himalayan Sound Bath Experience for $399?   You have no idea.   Now imagine you're about to spend $5K to $10K (or more), and you’re handed the same kind of “pick-your-own-adventure” PDF.   This is exactly what I've seen freelancers do in their sales process, and it's losing you clients you should’ve closed.   In this week’s episode of the 6 Figure Creative Podcast, I break down the “spa menu pricing” trap, and show you how to sell like a doctor instead.   Doctors don’t give you options. They listen, diagnose, and prescribe.   That’s what your clients want too (bc you're the expert of your domain).   If you want to... Close more gigs Speed up your sales cycle (i.e. how long it takes to close a client) Charge what you’re truly worth ...then don’t miss this one. For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/363

Most freelancers aren’t selling to strangers. They’re stuck relying on referrals and word-of-mouth… So they never realize how fragile their business actually is. Because when that word-of-mouth dries up and you finally try to reach outside your cozy little network? Suddenly the “no’s” and ghosting start piling up. And it’s not because your work isn’t good. It’s not because your prices are too high. It’s because you’re asking people to take a leap… With no parachute. This week’s episode is about fixing that with Risk Reversal and Guarantees. And it’s one of the most powerful ways to get more “hell yes” responses—even from people you just met. This episode breaks down: The types of risk clients are actually worried about How to flip that fear into your biggest sales asset Real examples from other freelancers using these tactics to close faster and stand out How to NOT screw yourself over with a bad guarantee If you want more clients, faster closes, and fewer “let me think about it” replies… This episode will change how you pitch, forever. For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/362

One of my clients has the dream setup: A solid YouTube following Tens of thousands of people visiting his site every month A clean, self-checkout flow for his freelance services Sounds awesome, right? But when we looked under the hood… He was making just $0.23 per visitor. Twenty. Three. Cents. Let that sink in. That’s LESS than $5k/month from 20,000 website visitors. I nearly threw my laptop. That same traffic, with a real sales process? Could be worth $20k… even $50k. This is the myth of passive sales. It feels efficient. It looks scalable. But for service businesses? It’s an income-killer. Passive sales feel great… until you realize you’re leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table. Every. Single. Month. Your income per website visitor is way more important than your total traffic. That single metric—earnings per visitor—exposes how effective (or broken) your sales process really is. Most freelancers think more eyeballs = more money. In this episode, I break down why you don’t need more traffic. You need more $$$ per visitor. I’m talking: The full sales strategy spectrum (passive → async → real convos) How to balance your time and make more per visitor And how a small tweak to your sales flow can 10x your earnings per visitor If you’re serious about hitting $100k, $250k, or beyond, this is the lever to pull. For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/361

As you scale past $100k as a creative freelancer, something starts to break: YOU become the bottleneck. You’re managing every email. Sending every invoice. Doing every project from scratch. Waking up at 3am remembering something you forgot to send. No wonder things feel chaotic. But here’s the good news: You can fix this without hiring a team.In this episode of the 6FC Podcast, I walk you through the 3 systems that multiply your output (and your income) — without adding a single person to your payroll. ✅ Client onboarding systems ✅ Project delivery systems ✅ Communication systems Set these up once, and you’ll never look back. For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/360