3 Lessons from last year to make 6 figures as solo freelancer

In 2023, I lost my job. I was a creative director. I had given everything to that job. I even stopped freelancing to focus only on it.

One day I got fired.

When it ended, I wondered: was this a blessing or a curse?

It depends on how you look at it. Instead of feeling disappointed, I chose to see it as a lesson. Mistakes aren't bad things. They're chances to learn.

That day, I made a small promise to myself: "From now on, I'll treat my freelance work like a real business. Not a side hustle."

That simple mindset shift changed everything.

I stopped waiting for inspiration. I stopped working "whenever." I stopped undercharging.

And within a year, I made six figures.

What you get wrong

You treat freelancing like a side job. Not a real business.

You only work when you feel like it. You forget to follow up. You undercharge. You hope things will magically grow.

I did all of that too. Until I changed how I think.

3 small shifts that changed everything

I changed my thinking

The biggest change happened in my mind.

I stopped seeing myself as "just a freelancer" and started seeing myself as a business owner.

I "hired myself." I set work hours. I built a proper workspace. I showed up daily.

No more working whenever I felt like it. No more designing only when inspiration hit.

This one change doubled my productivity almost overnight.

I created one simple system

My biggest struggle was being a complete mess.

My emails were everywhere. Client follow-ups got missed. I forgot what I had talked about with clients.

Then one day, a friend asked me, "Why aren't you using a CRM to manage your clients?"

As a designer, I had no idea what this meant.

So I signed up for Airtable and HelloBonsai. Things got easier.

I could follow up with clients, create proposals, and see my income at a glance.

But I was still using too many different apps. So I built my own Notion CRM.

Every client conversation. Every follow-up. Every proposal and invoice. Every dollar earned.

You know?

The surprising result? Having a system made me more creative, not less.

When your mind isn't trying to remember everything, it's free to create amazing designs.

I set clear price rules

Even with better thinking and better systems, I still had a money problem.

So I made two simple rules:

Rule #1: I set my bottom line at $250 per hour. I NEVER go below this. Ever. Even if it means saying no to a project.

Rule #2: I raise my price with each new client.

So if I charge Client A $250, I tell Client B my rate is $300. This gives me room to say: "But for you, I can do $270."

They feel special, and I still make more money!

I've switched to fixed project prices. Still, I count my hours to avoid being ripped off.

P.S. Check out the podcast "Mastering the Value Conversation" to learn more about pricing. It changed how I think about it.

Bottom Line

Set work hours for yourself this week. Show up at the same time each day. Make a list of all your clients. Write down when you last contacted them. Reach out to anyone you haven't talked to in the past month. Write down the lowest hourly rate you'll accept. Put it where you can see it. Never go below this number.

Getting fired in 2023 felt like the end. Turned out to be the beginning. I was treating freelancing like a hobby. The day I decided to treat it like a real business, everything changed. Made six figures in one year. All from changing how I think.

From nothing to something is possible.

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See you in another one!

Let's grow together 🙌

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