The life of a freelancer can be a turbulent rollercoaster — one minute you’re on top of the world, the next you’re wondering how you’re going to afford to pay for your website.
But for some people, getting on top of the world has been possible, and that all-too-elusive goal of hitting six figures working for yourself hasn’t just been conquered, it’s been surpassed.
This week, we talked to some of the most successful and inspiring freelancers, solopreneurs, and business owners on the web to get their best advice on how to achieve sustainable, high-level freelance income.
What obstacle did you overcome that was one of the greatest catalysts for your sustained high-level income?
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner
Making Sense of Cents
Michelle has a story that’s all too inspiring, and proof positive that you can rise from anywhere to achieve unimaginable things. She recently made it into Forbes for hitting $1 million in 2016, and all signs point to this rising star never falling.
We were entirely too excited to hear how this self-made millionaire squashed self-doubt and burst through barriers to get to where she is today.
“The biggest obstacle I overcame was realizing what my actual goals were with my business. Before, I did so much freelancing for other companies, that it really held back my growth with my own business. I did so much freelancing because I thought that was just a job I had to do in order to pay the bills.
Well, one day I decided to get rid of those freelance clients (all of them!), so that I could focus on my own business. My income has been growing significantly ever since.”
Michelle has several free resources on her incredible blog, Making Sense of Cents, including tips on how to slay debt, save money, and yea — make a WHOLE lot more of it. Check out her course on affiliate marketing to learn the same secrets she used to write her own success story.
Jaime Masters
The Eventual Millionaire
Jaime is a successful entrepreneur who built her business around her passion for helping others overcome what she did — the humdrum of a job that saps your energy, doesn’t bring you the income you need to thrive, and keeps you from living your life. At a young age, she decided she didn’t want her job to be her life, but to support it, and now, she’s found a way to make it happen.
This inspiring go-getter eats ambition for breakfast, and we were incredibly excited to get her words of wisdom on how she built her business from bones to the big bucks.
“Hiring a full-time executive admin from that US that really knew what she was doing was the most impactful change I made. It was worth its weight in gold, but beforehand I kept trying to use VA’s or part-time help with people that weren’t really dedicated and an A player.
I was able to focus on my strengths which were paid way more per hour than what I paid my assistant. It was a huge catalyst for me many years ago.”
Jaime Masters has one of the coolest jobs ever — she spreads inspiration, education, and her passion for financial freedom by interviewing ridiculously successful self-made millionaires on her podcast. She’s also a business coach, helping her clients overcome their own BS to get real results and start scaling their income.
Jess Levitz
Freelance Wisdom
This graphic designer gone GirlBoss extraordinaire took her passions in design and freelancing beyond the business when she launched her side project, Freelance Wisdom. With a passion for connecting and supporting female creatives, Jess has simultaneously built income streams from her freelance business, alongside products and content geared towards female creatives.
Between her gorgeous designs and inspiring initiatives to bring female entrepreneurs together, we knew we had to get Jess’s take on what it took to get to her next level of success.
“My greatest obstacle (and one that I still deal with often) is imposter syndrome – I am constantly fighting with myself to believe in my value and charge my clients more.
One thing that really changed for me this year is that I started a new design studio with a business partner. Having someone else that believes in me and tells me I should charge more has been a game-changer.
I am also a big believer in diversifying your income. I sell graphic mock-ups, ebooks, and more to help bring in a bit of recurring income. It is one of my primary goals for 2018 to add more products and focus more attention to digital sales.
Client work is wonderful, but it is easy to fall into the trap of working 24/7 in order to reach your financial goals.”
Ready to check out some of Jess’s work? You can take a peek at her stunning design work for brands and badass entrepreneurs in her design shop here.
Jenny Beres and Alexandra Grizinski
The Six Figure Freelance Community
Jenny Beres and Alexandra Grizinski have built their own six-figure freelance businesses, and have since turned their sites on helping other freelancers to build their incomes (without burning out).
With no BS mindset work and a pitching methodology that consistently connects freelancers with multi-million dollar companies, these two have built a devoted following of freelancers who swear by their techniques.
“Our biggest lesson has been if it doesn’t grow it dies.
I (Jenny) had to experience a big loss ($120K) to realize this. Basically I was stuck at one income level and kind of just coasting with no idea of how to grow. Burned out, with no direction – I just stopped. I couldn’t even look at my business anymore.
In other words, you must have vision. You must have a plan for expansion. You must know why you’re doing what you’re doing and where you’re going at each level. Otherwise, you get bored and burnout.
Once we figured this out – we were able to exponentially scale our income AND keep it.”
Ready to join the ranks of the numerous success stories stemming from this duo’s training programs? Check out their Facebook group for more information, and get it while the gettin’s good.
The Road to Success Isn’t a Set Formula
If there was one thing we learned from interviewing these hotshot hustlers this month, it was that there was no one way to get what they wanted. Every journey was different, every goal revolved around a different ‘why’, and in each case, these entrepreneurs kept going, kept pushing, and kept innovating.
If you’re a freelancer struggling to see how you can get from where you are now to where you want to go, try to let go of the how, and focus instead on showing up every day for what you want. Actively problem-solve, consult with mentors, outsource whatever you can, and don’t be afraid to take a few bold risks.
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