I've just returned from my year-end planning retreat in Chattanooga, TN, and DAMN it was awesome.
This is only my 3rd year doing this and considering I started my freelance journey back in 2009, I discovered this secret WAY too late...
Planning is the secret sauce to having your best year ever (which 2023 was for my businesses).
But here's the kicker – it doesn't have to be a mind-boggling, complex ordeal. A stupidly simple plan that you actually use is worth its weight in gold compared to some over-the-top, convoluted plan that just gathers dust.
Let me share a little secret with you. I tend to be the king of "overcomplication".
I'd plan so intensely that I'd lose sight of the actual execution. But I learned my lesson, and now I'm all about finding that sweet spot in planning – the perfect balance.
As entrepreneurs, if we're just meandering through life without a plan, we're like driftwood caught in someone else's current. We get pulled INTO other people's plans, and that's not where we want to be.
In the world of freelancing, hanging out with that person with the plan often means working for an agency at a fraction of the price they're charging their big-shot clients. You become the outsourced work, not the mastermind behind the project.
That's probably not the dream you're chasing.
So, what's the alternative? We're going to craft our annual plan. This plan is going to be your North Star, your guiding light, pointing you in a direction that's infinitely better than aimlessly drifting along.
We're going to be intentional in our pursuits, not aimless wanderers.
That's the goal here, and it's a goal worth pursuing with all your freelance might.
So, let's create a plan that'll help 2024 be your best year ever, because remember... if you don't have a plan, you'll end up in someone else's plan.
In this episode you’ll discover:
For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/289
#233: She Grew Her Freelance Business From $0 To $20k/mo In Under 4 Years | With Lydia Kerr
#232: The 11 Must-Have Tools For Growing And Running A 6 Figure Creative Business In 2023
#231: 6 Ways To Get More Clients In An EXTREMELY Competitive Industry
#230: Dynamic Pricing: The Secret Weapon Clever Freelancers Are Using To Maximize Their Income
#229: Raise Your Gosh Darn Rates.
#228: The Secret Ingredient To Higher Paying Gigs | The Client Acquisition Series
#227: Your Feast-Or-Famine Roller Coaster: Three Reasons Why Freelancers Never Escape This Vicious Cycle
#226: 6 Client Boundaries To Keep You Healthy, Happy, Stress-free, And Profitable
#225: How To Build Your Own Client Acquisition Machine (And Make 2023 Your Best Year Ever)
#224: Why Your High Sales Conversion Rate Is Actually A BAD Thing
#223: Shifting Your Clients From One-Time Projects To Monthly Recurring Subscriptions | With Annemie Tonken
#222: The Secret Weapon For 6 Figure Freelancers: Email Marketing
#221: The 4 Major Missing Pieces Of Your Marketing Plan | The Client Acquisition Series
#220: The Busy Freelancer's Guide To Getting Your Time Back (By Building Systems That Scale) | With Rachael Mueller
#219: How To Land High-caliber Clients By Emailing Strangers | The Cold Outreach Masterclass With Colleen Welsch
#218: How To Use Social Media To Start ATTRACTING Clients (Instead Of Chasing Them) | With Chris Smith
#217: Case Study: The Solo Freelancer Earning $1 Million Per Year (It's Not What You Think)
#216: How To Spend Less Time Doing The Stuff You Hate | The Easy Ates Framework
#215: How To Earn Up To $500,000 Per HOUR As A Designer | With Cat Coquillette
#214: How To Stop Trading Hours For Dollars By Creating An Ascension Ladder | With Rachel Brenke
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