Creative Freedom

This is bonus episode 4 in a series of lessons learned from 25 years as a creative entrepreneur. No one is coming to save you. You're a business owner, and you need to act like one. If you don't like the way the system works, the only way to change it is from the inside. In this episode, I'll take you behind the scenes in my biggest business failure and share examples from Apple, Denise Duffield-Thomas, and Leonie Dawson, to show you why you need to take control of your business and act like a business owner if you want it to grow - and how growing for growth's sake is only going to make you miserable. Catch all the bonus action at creativefreedomshow.com Special thanks to our Patrons for your continued support. Theme music: “Welcome to the Show” by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This is bonus episode 3 in a series of lessons learned from 25 years as a creative entrepreneur. Your business is NOT the Field of Dreams. If you built it, ya gotta market it or people ain't coming - or BUYING! At the core, marketing is sharing your message with an interested audience. But what's that message? And where do you find an interested audience? That's what we're looking at in this episode! You'll also hear about some real-world marketing examples and my "SIMPLE" framework for marketing and launching your offers. Catch all the bonus action at creativefreedomshow.com Special thanks to our Patrons for your continued support.Theme music: “Welcome to the Show” by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

I've been teaching this concept for decades now. I started sharing it when I was in direct sales, but it's no less true today for creative entrepreneurs. In a world where there are lots of people doing things similar to you, the truth is that YOU are the competitive advantage your business relies on most. As the face of your company, you were what your audience is buying into every time they make a buying decision. This week's bonus episode fills in the details and helps you get a handle on it even further. Catch all the bonus action at creativefreedomshow.com Special thanks to our Patrons for your continued support. Theme music: “Welcome to the Show” by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This is episode one in a special bonus series I've created to share the most important lessons I've learned over the past 25 years. Yep. I've been an online entrepreneur for over 25 years now - back when the World Wide Web was a new-fangled thing and the Internet itself was a young upstart barely old enough to drink. This episode talks about the single most important lesson I've learned in my 25 years online - how your mindset is more important than the mechanics of being a creative entrepreneur... and how to set yourself up for success. Catch the show notes and all the bonus content at CreativeFreedomShow.com Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com, licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

I'm going OFF about how the phrase "create epic content" has become synonymous with "if you can't make something that goes viral, then don't do anything at all" - which is a trap that either keeps you stuck on a hamster wheel of content creation in your creative business or paralyzed by perfectionism to the point of doing nothing at all.⁠ ⁠ Instead, I'm going to show you an easy way to share engaging, meaningful content with your audience on the regular on any platform. And you don't even have to create it all. In fact, if you want to have a life, you probably shouldn't!⁠ Catch the show notes and all the bonus content at CreativeFreedomShow.com Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com, licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

As a creative, you've got LOTS of ideas. How do you keep track of them all? Can they even be managed? How do you decide which ideas to pursue, and which ones to table for later (or even give away to someone else)?  You're in luck because this week I'm sharing a bunch of tools and resources to help you organize your ideas and get clear on what you're going to move on now, and what can wait. You'll be able to end the distractions and stay foused! Catch the show notes and all the bonus content at CreativeFreedomShow.com  Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com, licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

You've probably heard the phrase "riches in niches" more times than you care to count. As a creative entrepreneur, finding a niche can feel challenging if you don't solve a "problem" or "pain" with your Great Work. In this episode, I'm stealing a process from the manufacturing world to help you hone in on why clients buy from you and how to find more clients just like them. Catch all the bonus content at CreativeFreedomShow.com Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music and sound effects licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

If you're a heart-centered creative entrepreneur struggling with pricing, there's good news: you don't have to subsist on a survival-level income, and you don't have to price-gouge your clients in order to be successful. There's a middle ground that's profitable and sustainable. Your pricing tells a story, and it's personal. For creative entrepreneurs there is no topic more in need of a mindset shift than pricing. Pricing is more than just materials + time. It's about your pricing mythology, your audience expectations, and other considerations that we'll run through in this episode. 

Just hearing the word “business model” can conjure up spreadsheets, process diagrams, flow charts, and other stress-inducing imagery. But business models don't have to be stressful. Once you figure out your unique business model, you’ll like how sexy the results are: more money, meaning, and impact. More Raving Fans for your work, more freedom, and more time to focus on what’s truly important to you. The best part? It isn’t hard to figure out. This episode shares a simple framework that can work for you regardless of your creative type. Catch all the bonus content at CreativeFreedomShow.com Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music and sound effects licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

While it sounds sexy to "make dolla billz in your sleep," there are three huge misconceptions around creating passive revenue in your business. In this episode you'll go behind the scenes and see how I've set up passive revenue streams in my business, and just how "passive" they really are. Catch all the bonus content at CreativeFreedomShow.com Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music and sound effects licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

As a creative entrepreneur, having a loyal following means you've got Raving Fans who love your work, support you financially, and you can make great money doing what you love. If they're not loyal, they'll drop you like a hot rock as soon as someone new hits the scene. So how do you build customer loyalty? L.O.V.E. It's an acronym for the 4 actions that draw your audience closer and help you build meaningful, loyal relationships with them. Catch all the bonus content at CreativeFreedomShow.com Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music and sound effects licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

One of the things that stops creatives from growing their business is a fear that they don't have the credibility it takes to attract quality clients. This episode shares 5 things anyone can do (starting today) to build their credibility in the market, even if they're brand new and have zero clients. Catch all the bonus content at CreativeFreedomShow.com Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music and sound effects licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Think you're ready to hire a business coach? Before you plunk down your hard-earned cash, make sure you really know what you're getting - and that you're really ready to make the investment. Too many creative entrepreneurs get burned by hiring the wrong person at the wrong time. This episode gives you specifics about the different kinds of business support - including coaching - to help you determine what you really need for your current stage of business growth. Catch all the bonus content at CreativeFreedomShow.com Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music and sound effects licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

Branding can be especially challenging for creative entrepreneurs. We're constantly evolving, and depending on your creative type, it might not come easy to you.  Heck, even the concept of branding has evolved over the years. This episode gives you some questions to consider, along with how branding has evolved through the centuries – and what it means to you (and your clients) now in its current evolution.  Catch all the bonus content at CreativeFreedomShow.com Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com. Music and sound effects licensed under creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

Over the past 10 years, I've hosted hundreds of live events. From my basic monthly Accountability Club teleclasses and weekly Facebook Live Q&A's to more complex virtual and in-person events like Creative Freedom Live (Happening in October! Yeah, baby!) If you're thinking about hosting your own events, here are the mistakes and lessons I've learned to help you host a successful event that works for you AND your attendees. Catch all the bonus content at CreativeFreedomShow.com Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This is high season for business conferences and events for creative entrepreneurs. But how do you know whether or not it's really worth it to invest in attending in the first place? In this episode, I provide a simple "equation" that will help you get clarity about which events will be vital and beneficial to your business, and which ones you should skip. Catch all the bonus content at CreativeFreedomShow.com Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

It's our final episode in our Summer series about underearning, and yet, it's the most important topic of all - getting the support you need to succeed. I bust the "self-made" myth bubble in this episode, because regardless of whether we start at the bottom or not, we all need people to help make our dreams come true. Support is critical. Whether that's your personal environment, or surrounding yourself with the right kind of people, help is a non-negotiable when you're building your Noble Empire. Catch all the bonus content at CreativeFreedomShow.com Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This is one of our most dangerous episodes, because Lisa's talking about shame and what Dr. Brene Brown calls "Unwanted Identities" - and how they can impact your ability to charge higher rates for your work. If you find yourself saying "I'm not (famous person), I could never charge THAT kind of money!" then this episode is for you. This content contains an excerpt from Lisa's program, Overcoming Underearning for Creative Entrepreneurs. Catch all the bonus content at CreativeFreedomShow.com Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This is the next logical step after our last episode. Once you get clear that it's time to raise your rates, how, exactly do you go about raising them? Have a listen to this week's episode, where Lisa walks you through a few different approaches, from the basic, Nike approach (just DO it already!) to the "Tuna Can" approach and more. This is the fifth episode in a series about overcoming underearning. Catch all the bonus content at CreativeFreedomShow.com Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Many creative entrepreneurs get emotional when it comes to price increases. So, what if there were an easy, external way to know that it's time to raise your rates? Your wish is our command! This week, Lisa shares 11 external indicators that can help you determine if a price increase is right for your creative business. Catch all the bonus content at CreativeFreedomShow.com Music: "Welcome to the Show" by Kevin MacLeod, incompetech.com Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/