Tue, January 28, 2025

Barry van Someren - Good Business Advice From The IRS?

Ex-java developer and CoffeeSprout founder Barry van Someren joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about the surprising alignment between “Ditcherville ethos” and the government of the Netherlands. LINKS MENTIONED Barry’s website Barry’s LinkedIn California Law AB 5 AI SUMMARY In this episode of Ditching Hourly, Jonathan Stark speaks with Barry Van Someren about his transition from hourly work to value-based services, the implications of new tax laws in the Netherlands for independent contractors, and the importance of having multiple clients. They discuss how these changes affect client relationships and the necessity of shifting to results-based contracts. Barry shares insights on navigating the complexities of government regulations and the benefits of diversifying client portfolios to ensure business resilience. SOUND BITES “I wanted to transition into something that was more predictable.” “It’s just refreshing to see that kind of advice from the IRS.” “I kind of wanted to make myself less vulnerable to this law.” “The IRS and various countries are giving you that encouragement.” “If you stay at one place too long, you become stagnant.” “Hourly billing is bad.” TAKEAWAYS Transitioning from hourly work to value-based services can lead to more predictable income. New tax laws classify independent contractors more strictly, impacting their work. It’s essential to define clear results in contracts rather than relying on hourly billing. Having multiple clients reduces vulnerability to market changes and legal issues. Government regulations can align with good business practices, encouraging consultants to diversify their client base. Freelancers should be aware of the risks associated with being classified as employees under new laws. Building a strong network is crucial for finding clients and maintaining a steady workflow. Consultants should focus on delivering results rather than just completing tasks. The importance of compliance with tax laws cannot be overstated for independent contractors. Hourly billing is often seen as a less favorable model for sustainable business growth. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me an

Tue, January 21, 2025

Louis Grenier - The Stand The F*ck Out Book Interview (explicit, obvs)

The handsome and talented Louis Grenier joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about the strategy behind writing, publishing, and launching his new book, Stand The F*ck Out .  Links: Stand The F*ck Out Bonuses for Ditching Hourly Listeners AI Summary: In this conversation, Jonathan Stark interviews Louis Grenier about his journey in marketing, the insights from his new book, and the strategies behind its launch. Louis discusses the importance of standing out in a crowded market, the principles of effective marketing, and the challenges he faced while writing and publishing his book. He shares his unique approach to launching the book, including innovative marketing strategies and the significance of personal branding. In this conversation, Louis Grenier discusses his unique approach to branding and product design, particularly in the context of his book launch. He shares insights on working with Lulu, the importance of prioritizing tasks during the launch, and the lessons learned from mistakes made along the way. The value of beta readers and the iterative feedback process in writing are emphasized, along with strategies for promoting and selling his book effectively. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, January 14, 2025

Dale Davidson - Solo Subcontracting For The Federal Government

The author of “Going 1099: How To Become Solo Federal Sub-Contractor”, Dale Davidson, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss the journey of becoming a solo federal subcontractor. (00:00) - Introduction and Guest Welcome (00:17) - Dale Davidson's Background (00:49) - Navigating Hourly Billing in Government Contracts (01:39) - Transitioning to 1099 Subcontracting (04:01) - Importance of Security Clearance (05:51) - Client Relationships and Consulting (07:06) - Understanding Government Contracting (16:01) - Becoming a Prime Contractor (33:52) - Hiring Employees and Scaling Up (35:41) - Recruiting and Retaining Talent (36:24) - Scaling Up: Employees and Income (37:17) - The Soloist's Dilemma (38:53) - Challenges of Growing a Business (41:17) - The Admin Burden (48:02) - The Hourly Trap (49:39) - Government Contracting Insights (53:12) - Personal Stories and Advice (58:32) - Finding Your Niche and Passion (01:09:15) - Promoting the Book and Final Thoughts DALE’S LINKS Dale’s Book Dale’s LinkedIn AI SUMMARY In this conversation, Jonathan Stark and Dale Davidson discuss the journey of becoming a solo federal subcontractor, focusing on the challenges and opportunities within government contracting. They explore the nuances of hourly billing, the importance of security clearance, and the significance of client relationships. Dale shares insights on transitioning from employee to 1099 contractor, the role of subcontracting, and the complexities of government contracts. The discussion also touches on the mental shift required when moving from a corporate environment to self-employment, the importance of setting boundaries, and the value of understanding market demand. TAKEAWAYS Hourly billing is the norm in government subcontracting. Security clearance can significantly increase your value in government contracting. Building strong client relationships is crucial for success as a contractor. Transitioning from employee to 1099 contractor offers more freedom and control. Subcontracting is a common practice in government work and can provide opportunities. Understanding the different types of government contracts is essential for contractors. Fixed price contracts are rare but can be negotiated successfully. Finding opportunities in government contracts requires diligence and networking. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizin

Tue, January 07, 2025

Lauren Pearl - The Daily CFO Pricing Framework

Advisory CFO, daily emailer, and podcast host Lauren Pearl joined me on Ditching Hourly to unpack the nuances of the pricing framework she uses with her start-up and small business clients. CHAPTERS (00:00) - DH358 Lauren Pearl - The Daily CFO Pricing Framework (00:09) - Lauren Pearl's Background and Role (02:08) - Client Types and Fit (04:18) - The Origin of the Pricing Framework (07:23) - Step-by-Step Pricing Framework (08:01) - Setting the Floor Price (20:47) - Setting the Ceiling Price (38:50) - Understanding Customer Decision-Making (40:15) - The Power of Post-Purchase Feedback (41:27) - Exploring Customer Value Perception (43:51) - Competitive Analysis and Market Expectations (47:40) - Pricing Strategies and Customer Commitment (01:09:55) - Experimentation and Continuous Improvement (01:14:18) - Where to Find Lauren Online LAUREN'S LINKS Lauren’s LinkedIn The Daily CFO Newsletter The Growth-Minded CFO Podcast ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, December 31, 2024

Andrew Croasdale - From Counter Terrorism to Leadership Consulting

Andrew Croasdale, a former police officer turned consultant, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss his transition from policing to consulting. (00:00) - Introduction and Guest Welcome (00:18) - Andrew's Background in Policing (01:05) - Transition to Consulting (05:11) - First Steps in Business (06:06) - First Client Experience (09:37) - Challenges of Small Business Owners (17:38) - Defining Governance and Leadership (26:25) - Diagnostic Approach in Consulting (29:10) - Cross-Referencing in Police Work (29:32) - Challenges in Communicating Strategic Objectives (29:48) - Overcoming Ego for Improvement (30:09) - Psychological Differences in Large vs. Small Organizations (31:27) - Resistance to Change in Large Companies (35:11) - The Importance of Psychological Safety (36:15) - Choosing the Right Company Size to Work With (37:11) - Balancing Impact and Satisfaction (41:04) - Implementing Values in Solopreneurship (43:58) - Defining Mission and Values (51:22) - Final Thoughts and Contact Information Andrew’s Links: - LinkedIn » https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-croasdale/ - Website » https://octopusleadership.com/ AI SUMMARY In this conversation, Jonathan Stark interviews Andrew Croasdale, a former police officer turned consultant, about his transition from policing to the business world. Andrew shares insights on how his background in counter-terrorism policing informs his consulting work, particularly in enhancing governance and operational excellence for businesses. He discusses the importance of creating high-performing environments, the role of governance versus leadership, and the need for clear communication and structure within organizations. Andrew emphasizes that good governance can lead to improved team performance and customer service, ultimately benefiting the business as a whole.  Andrew discusses the critical role of transparency in leadership and the importance of clear communication of strategic goals within organizations. He emphasizes the need to overcome ego and fear in order to foster a culture of improvement and psychological safety. The discussion also touches on the challenges faced when working with larger organizations compared to smaller businesses, highlighting the impact of organizational structure on decision-making.  Additionally, Andrew shares insights on how solopreneurs can define their values and create alignment with their clients to drive business success. TAKEAWAYS - Andrew transitioned from policing to consulting to seek a change - His experience in policing helps him develop high-performing teams - Customer service quality significantly impacts people’s lives - St

Tue, October 15, 2024

Barry LaBov - The Power of Differentiation

Author, founder, and CEO Barry LaBov joined me on Ditching Hourly to geek out about niching down - while walking me through the five-step process he describes in his book The Power of Differentiation . Barry's Bio: Barry LaBov is the founder and CEO of LABOV Marketing Communications and Training. He is a two-time Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year recipient and an inductee into the Entrepreneur of the Year Hall of Fame. He is also a Better Business Bureau Torch Awards for Ethics recipient. Under his leadership, LABOV Marketing Communications and Training has received the Indiana Growth 100 Award six times, was named Small Business of the Year and recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in Indiana. Additionally, LABOV’s client work has been honored with nearly 100 national and regional awards. Barry's links: The Power of Differentiation Barry's biz website Barry's personal site Barry's LinkedIn ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, October 08, 2024

Russ Waddell - The “Secret” To Successfully Going Out On Your Own

Guest Russ Waddell joined me on Ditching Hourly to explain how he successfully went out on his own for the first time after more than a decade as a full-time employee. Guest Links: https://www.russwaddell.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-waddell/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, September 24, 2024

Zach Stevens - Year Two of Running a Subscription-Based Service Business

Zach Stevens, co-founder of Conversion Factory, came back on Ditching Hourly to give an update about how things are going with his “all-you-can-eat” subscription-based service business after two years in business. Zach's Links Conversion Factory Zach's LinkedIn Zach's Twitter Other Links MicroConf Tiny Seed FreePik Visual Electric Somewhere ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, September 17, 2024

Shaun Jardine - Ditch The Billable Hour! Implementing Value-Based Pricing in a Law Firm

Author of Ditch The Billable Hour! , Shaun Jardine, joined me on Ditching Hourly to explain how he transitioned his 240-person law firm off the billable hour.  Shaun's Links Shaun's Book Shaun's Website Shaun's LinkedIn Shaun's Twitter The book Shaun mentioned: Our Iceberg Is Melting by John Kotter ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, September 10, 2024

Alex M H Smith - No BS Business Strategy

The author of No Bullsh*t Strategy and founder of Basic Arts, Alex M H Smith, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss what business strategy is, why it matters, and how to get started. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 03:00 Defining Strategy and the Importance of Unique Value 07:53 Trade-Offs: Creating Space for Unique Value 13:36 Strategy vs. Being Better than the Competition 19:26 Applying Strategy at Different Levels 33:32 Creating Unique Value: Double Down on Your Strengths 36:22 The Role of Strategy in Motivating Action 49:22 Using LinkedIn as a Marketing Tool for Service-Based Businesses 56:18 Sharing Your Unique Point of View through Writing and Speaking 01:00:26 The Importance of Marketing and Innovation in Business Alex's Links: Alex on LinkedIn Basic Arts Website No Bullsh*t Strategy Book AI-Generated Notes: In this conversation, Jonathan and Alex discuss the concept of strategy and how it applies to businesses. They explore the importance of delivering unique value and finding a white space in the market. Alex emphasizes that strategy is not about being better than the competition but about offering something different and making trade-offs. They also touch on the relationship between strategy and positioning and how strategy can be applied at different levels, from businesses to individual employees. In this conversation, Jonathan and Alex discuss the importance of creating unique value in business. They explore how companies like Southwest Airlines and Domino's Pizza have successfully differentiated themselves by removing certain aspects of their industry and focusing on their strengths. They emphasize the need to identify what sets you apart and double down on those strengths. They also discuss the role of strategy, marketing, and innovation in creating unique value. Alex shares his insights on strategy and how it is half about deciding what to do and half about motivating people to do it. They also touch on the importance of LinkedIn as a marketing tool for solopreneurs and service-based businesses. Takeaways Strategy is about delivering unique value and finding a white space in the market. Being better than the competition is not a strategy; it's important to offer something different. Trade-offs are necessary to create space for unique value. Strategy can be applied at different levels, from businesses to individual employees.  To create unique value, identify what sets you apart and double down on your strengths. Strategy is half about deciding what to do and

Tue, August 20, 2024

Pranav Kale - Reverse LinkedIn Interview

LinkedIn Ghostwriter Pranav Kale joined me on Ditching Hourly to do a reverse interview about what I've learned during my recent experiment of posting daily on LinkedIn. Pranav’s Links:  Website:  https://www.pranavkale.com/ LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/pranavkale120/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, August 13, 2024

Matt Kerbis - Bridging the Justice Gap with Subscription Legal Services

Matt Kerbis, also known as the Subscription Attorney, joined me on Ditching Hourly to share his novel approach to ditching hourly billing in the legal space with a subscription model. Matt's bio from his website: ”My name is Mathew Kerbis, I’m The Subscription Attorney, and I believe subscriptions can help bridge the access to justice gap and incentivize attorneys to modernize and scale their practice like never before.” Matt's links: Website: https://www.lawsubscribed.com/about LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerbisverse/ Substack: https://substack.com/@lawsubscribed The Law For Kids Podcast: https://www.lawforkidspodcast.com/ AI-Generated Info: Summary In this conversation, Jonathan Stark interviews Matt Kerbis, also known as the Subscription Attorney, about his novel approach to ditching hourly billing in the legal space with a subscription model. Matt explains how he offers affordable and accessible legal services through different subscription tiers based on the client's needs. He discusses the pricing structure, the scope of services provided, and the use of automation tools to streamline his practice. Matt also addresses the challenges and benefits of implementing a subscription model in the legal industry. Mathew Kerbis discusses his unique subscription-based law firm model and the client experience. He explains that while his model is one of a kind, there are other attorneys using the subscription model in different ways. Mathew highlights the importance of educating clients about the subscription model and the client portal. He also discusses the challenges of marketing a new business model and the slow process of building traction. Mathew emphasizes the value of problem avoidance and the benefits of being a generalist in the legal space. He advises those interested in experimenting with subscription models to start narrow and go broad. Takeaways Matt Kerbis offers affordable and accessible legal services through a subscription model. The pricing structure includes different tiers based on the client's needs, with options for individuals, freelancers, and business owners. Matt uses automation tools and no-code solutions to streamline his practice and deliver services efficiently. Churn is a key consideration in the subscription model, and Matt focuses on delighting his clients to reduce churn and increase client satisfaction. While a pure subscription model may not work for all legal services, a hybrid approach combining subscriptions and alternative fee-based pricing can be effective. Mathew Kerbis has a unique subscription-based law firm model that i

Tue, July 23, 2024

Ben Zettler - Pricing Tactics For Digital Agencies

Ben Zettler, owner and founder of Zettler Digital, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss pricing tactics for agencies. Ben's Links: Zettler Digital Ben's LinkedIn AI-Generated Stuff: SUMMARY Ben Zettler, owner and founder of Zettler Digital, joins Jonathan Stark to discuss value pricing for agencies. Ben shares his background in sports and how he transitioned into building his agency. They discuss the initial conversations with potential clients, the importance of understanding their needs and goals, and how to convert those conversations into proposals. Ben also talks about the value of offering free work, conducting audits, and providing strategy sessions to build trust with clients. They explore the use of data to quantify the potential impact of their services and the challenges of pricing for smaller businesses. Ben Zettler discusses the ideal clients for his agency and the different options he offers them. He emphasizes the importance of working with decision-makers and the challenges of communicating value in proposals. Ben also talks about the shift in his business from project-oriented work to retained services. He shares his experience with client churn and the need to constantly find new opportunities. Ben provides insights into pricing and the difficulties of structuring fees for ongoing services. He concludes by highlighting the value of LinkedIn for marketing and networking. TAKEAWAYS Understanding the client's needs and goals is crucial in creating a proposal for value pricing. Offering free work, such as audits and strategy sessions, can help build trust with potential clients. Quantifying the potential impact of services using data can help justify pricing. Smaller businesses may be more hesitant to share revenue information, but it is important to understand the potential impact of services. The market has shifted towards longer decision timelines and more evaluation of service providers. Working with decision-makers is ideal in most situations, regardless of the size of the business. Communicating value in proposals can be challenging, especially when clients compare prices to other services. Shifting from project-oriented work to retained services can provide stability and consistent revenue. Client churn is inevitable, so it's important to constantly find new opportunities and maintain a marketing engine. Pricing ongoing services can be difficult, and it's important to consider the value provided and the client's budget. LinkedIn is a valuable platform for marketing and networking in the services industry. CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction and Background 08:14 Offering Free Work to Build Trust 17:17 Converting Conversations i

Tue, July 09, 2024

Erin Austin - The Intersection of AI, Copyright, and Plagiarism

Strategic lawyer and IP expert Erin Austin joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about the intersection of plagiarism, copyright infringement, and generative AI.  Erin's Bio A graduate of Harvard Law School, Erin Austin is a strategic lawyer and consultant who uses her 25+ years of practicing law, including roles as COO and general counsel at large and small IP-driven companies, including Warner Brothers, Lionsgate (formerly known as Artisan), MGM, Teaching Strategies, and M3 USA Corp, to help female founders of expertise-based firms build and protect saleable assets so that the business is ready to sell when the founder is ready to exit. Erin's Links https://www.thinkbeyondip.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinaustin/ AI-Generated Stuff Summary In this conversation, Jonathan Stark and Erin Austin discuss the legal and ethical issues surrounding AI. They explore the difference between plagiarism and copyright infringement, the ethical obligations of giving credit, and the copyright protection of AI-generated content. They also touch on the parallel between AI and ghostwriters, the copyright situation with reference materials like encyclopedias, and the challenge of tracing ideas back to their original source. The conversation explores the impact of digital technology on copyright and intellectual property. They discuss the ease of copying and plagiarism in the digital age, the potential for copyright infringement with AI-generated content, and the importance of copyright registration. They also touch on the challenges of compensating creators in the age of AI and the potential for job disruption. Overall, they express optimism about the benefits of AI while acknowledging the need for responsible use. Takeaways Plagiarism is the ethical breach of stealing someone else's ideas, while copyright infringement is the legal issue of using someone's protected work without permission. AI-generated content is not eligible for copyright protection because it is not created by a human, but there are gradations of AI involvement that can still receive protection. There is little ethical breach in not crediting AI for its output, as AI is not the creator of ideas, and the output is often not considered thought leadership. When using AI-generated content, it is important to ensure that it does not infringe on someone else's copyright and to add a layer of creativity if you want to be eligible for copyright protection. The copyright situation with AI is complex and depends on factors such as the level of AI involvement, the nature of the work, and the agreements in place. Tracing ideas back to their original source can be challenging, and the expressio

Tue, July 02, 2024

Eden Vidal - Productizing Design Sprints and Converting The Hourly

Co-founder and Head of Design at Under, Eden Vidal, joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about productizing design sprints, optimizing your business to suit your personality, and convincing contractors to ditch hourly billing. Eden's Links: https://edenvidal.com/ https://weareunder.design/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/edenvidal/ AI Summary: Eden Vidal, a designer and developer, shares his success with value-based concepts for his design studio. He specializes in brand sprints, a niche methodology for running branding processes for young technology companies. The brand sprint focuses on creating a brand story and developing a visual language, primarily for the homepage of a website. Eden emphasizes the importance of speed and delivering quick and fancy results for startups. The ideal clients for brand sprints are funded startups that already have some branding but feel a mismatch and a need for a quick and premium solution. Eden discusses his approach to managing his time between brand sprints and his own creative projects. He explains that while his wife focuses on optimizing brand sprints, he wants to pursue more and work on his own entrepreneurial ventures. They also discuss the challenges of transitioning from hourly contracts to fixed-price projects and the importance of clear communication and expectations. Eden shares his experience of hiring contractors and the benefits of focusing on delivering results rather than selling time. They also explore the idea of creating a platform that simplifies the process of defining project requirements and finding the right freelancers. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 06:22 The 10-Day Brand Sprint Process 08:38 Ideal Clients for Brand Sprints 29:16 Balancing Brand Sprints and Personal Creative Projects 37:36 Transitioning from Hourly Contracts to Fixed-Price Projects 42:18 The Benefits of Delivering Results Instead of Selling Time 53:01 Simplifying the Freelancer Hiring Process with a Platform ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't fe

Tue, June 25, 2024

Sam Browne - Growing Your Audience on LinkedIn

Sam Browne, lifestyle entrepreneur and LinkedIn expert with more than 100k followers joined me on Ditching Hourly to share his insights on growing your audience on LinkedIn. Sam’s Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-browne/ Gumroad: https://sambrowne.gumroad.com/ Takeaways Know what you want to be known for on LinkedIn and focus on educational content to build authority. Map out a series of questions to answer in your content and use case studies and testimonials to showcase the value of your work. Engage with comments on your own posts and on other people’s posts to build relationships and expand your network. Frequency of posting is flexible, but consistency is key. Replying to comments on LinkedIn posts is important, especially for thoughtful and insightful comments. Engaging with other creators’ posts can help expand your reach and build relationships. Using carousels and images in posts can increase visibility and engagement. Avoid including links in posts to maximize reach, but consider using them in comments to drive traffic and build relationships. Engaging with comments can lead to valuable insights and growth opportunities. Sound Bites “Pick the thing that is going to be the most effective for you to monetize.” “Case studies are a great way to show the value of working with you.” “Post with whatever frequency is comfortable for you, ideally no less than once a week.” “I always try and repay people who take the time to comment on my posts.” “You don’t need that many people who are showing up and enjoying your posts every time you post to create real momentum on LinkedIn.” “A post can take on a new life like six hours later, eight, eight, 10 hours later.” Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 07:29 Setting Up Your Profile for Success 24:00 Showcasing the Value of Your Work 28:13 Engaging with Comments and Frequency of Posting 30:34 Engaging with Other Creators’ Posts for Reach and Relationships 36:28 Using Carousels and Images to Increase Visibility 45:29 Maximizing Reach by Avoiding Links in Posts 48:34 Driving Engagement and Building Relationships through Comments ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? <a href="https://jonathanstark.com/call"

Tue, June 04, 2024

Kevin Freidberg - Need a Website? Start with Email

Long-time friend-of-the-show Kevin Freidberg joined me on Ditching Hourly to share how he helps freelancers and consultants create effective websites by starting with email conversations. Kevin's Links: https://marketyourselffirst.com/ AI-Generated Info: Summary Kevin Friedberg shares his approach to helping freelancers and consultants create effective websites by starting with email conversations. He suggests that instead of focusing on building a website, which can be overwhelming and time-consuming, freelancers should start by writing emails that address the problems their clients are facing. These emails can serve as the foundation for a content solar system and can eventually be repurposed for a website. Kevin also shares his strategy for growing an email list using LinkedIn, where he sends personalized messages to potential subscribers. Overall, his approach emphasizes the importance of one-on-one conversations and providing value to potential clients. Takeaways - Instead of starting with a website, freelancers and consultants can begin by writing emails that address the problems their clients are facing. - These emails can serve as the foundation for a content solar system and can eventually be repurposed for a website. - LinkedIn can be a valuable platform for growing an email list by sending personalized messages to potential subscribers. - The key to success is providing value and engaging in one-on-one conversations with potential clients. Sound Bites "A website, it's not a one-on-one conversation. An email is." "You'll have this conversation with someone, and they go off... they like brain dump about the problems that they solve for their clients. And it's gold. It's great." "I'm obsessed with the very idea of a one-on-one conversation. I just don't understand how else to do it." Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Pain Points 03:05 Starting with Email Conversations 13:10 Using LinkedIn to Grow Your Email List 25:31 Transitioning from Emails to Websites 28:31 Conclusion and Next Steps ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of th

Tue, May 07, 2024

Coaching Call with Residential Architect Jason Comer

Residential architect Jason Comer joined me on Ditching Hourly to brainstorm how he might migrate from commodity labor to productized leverage with his expertise in home design. Even if you're not an architect, I think you'll find the discussion useful. Jason’s Website: https://www.jasoncomerarchitect.com/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Wed, May 01, 2024

Jason Cohen - Why AI is Different, the Paradox of Niching Down, and Writing as Legacy

WP Engine founder Jason Cohen joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about why AI is different from other big tech advancements. We also discussed why niching down in a single ideal customer profile will bring you 10x more customers than you expect and how a regular writing practice makes the world a better place (and maybe even builds a legacy). Jason’s Links:  A Smart Bear AI is Different Selling to Carol WP Engine Twitter ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, April 09, 2024

Corey Quinn - The Benefits of Selling to Anyone, Not Everyone

Corey Quinn joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss his excellent new book, “Anyone, Not Everyone.” In it, Corey shares insights on deep specialization, selecting a target vertical market, and using gifts like cookies to transform outbound marketing.  Corey's Links: Anyone, Not Everyone by Corey Quinn Deep Specialization podcast by Corey Quinn Corey's Website 0:00 - Episode intro 0:17 - About Corey Quinn and his background  1:30 - Corey's ideal client: agency founders doing $1-5M and looking to specialize 3:07 - Benefits of specializing in a vertical market vs. skillset 5:17 - How to define a vertical market 7:19 - Detecting traction in a potential vertical to specialize in 11:33 - Identifying a vertical market that's the right size (2,000-10,000 businesses) 15:25 - How specializing enables you to speak your target market's language  17:35 - Creating a "point of view" to differentiate beyond just positioning 22:33 - Shifting from founder-led sales through deep specialization  25:09 - Using gifting (like cookies) to transform outbound marketing 30:42 - Creating an ongoing gifting campaign, not just a one-time gift 32:21 - Reaching your target market in multiple channels beyond just gifting 37:46 - The multi-million dollar cookie budget that drove Scorpion's growth 41:17 - Adapting this approach for smaller shops through focus and consistency 45:01 - Advice for soloists: specialize, do thought leadership, focus on dream clients 48:54 - Consistently engaging with a target industry year after year to build trust 50:34 - Where to find Corey's book and other free resources ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, March 26, 2024

Why Niching Down Isn't Boring with Geraldine Carter

Geraldine Carter and I swapped interviews about why niching down doesn't lead to boredom.  Geraldine's Links: Geraldine's website Geraldine's newsletter Geraldine's podcast ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, March 19, 2024

JS on SuiteScript Stories with Tim Dietrich and Eric Grubaugh

Tim Dietrich and Eric Grubaugh invited me to join them on SuiteScript Stories to talk about the pros and cons of a platform specialization, the paradox of positioning, and, of course, the horrors of hourly billing. Tim and Eric were kind enough to let me post the interview here on Ditching Hourly, but if you're a NetSuite developer, you should check out their podcast at https://suitescriptstories.com/   We discuss: Jonathan's and Tim's shared history in the FileMaker Pro space Jonathan's AHA moment when he realized hourly billing was killing his business The misaligned financial incentives created by hourly billing How specializing in a narrower target market amplifies your opportunities The various forms of specialization: Vertical, Horizontal, Platform The obstacles an agency faces when trying to specialize ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, January 30, 2024

Joe Quadara - From Fighting Fires to Lighting the Way: How Expertise Creates Leverage in Consulting

Indie game consultant Joe Quadara (aka Joe Q) joined me on Ditching Hourly to share his journey from putting out fires for indie game studios to advising them to accurately scope and fund their projects. Joe's Links: Joe's website: Recurver Joe on LinkedIn   AI Summary: In this episode, game developer turned consultant Joe Quidara shares his journey from putting out fires for game studios to helping studios accurately scope and fund their projects. He explains how developing deep expertise about the indie game industry allows him to quickly assess and advise studios, creating leverage in his consulting business. Chapters: [00:00:00] Introductions [00:07:00] The size of the video game market [00:10:00] What is indie game consulting? [00:14:00] The appeal of weird, indie games  [00:19:00] What an indie game studio looks like [00:23:00] From firefighting to preventing fires in game studios   [00:28:00] Helping studios accurately scope and fund projects [00:32:00] Creating a sustainable indie game studio model  [00:35:00] Leveraging expertise to streamline the consulting process [00:41:00] The benefits of specialization for consultants [00:46:00] Keeping an open mind while leveraging expertise   [00:48:00] Conclusion ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Wed, January 10, 2024

Bryan Strawser - Breaking Seven Figures For The First Time

Bryghtpath CEO and Ditcherville lifetime resident Bryan Strawser joined me on Ditching Hourly to share the secrets behind his huge business wins in 2023. Bryan's Links: Website: https://bryghtpath.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Bryghtpath Podcast: https://bryghtpath.com/resources/managing-uncertainty-podcast/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanstrawser/ Summary (ai generated): In this episode of Ditching Hourly, Jonathan Stark interviews Bryan Strausser of BrightPath about how positioning his consulting firm and using program evaluation "roadmaps" as a first engagement with clients has led to major growth and 7-figure revenue. They discuss Bryan's journey from generalist consultant to focused niche positioning, using content marketing and authority building to attract ideal clients, the roadmapping process to diagnose client needs before prescribing solutions, how to price and sell high-value services, and building ongoing managed services for recurring revenue.  Chapters: [00:00:00] Introduction  [00:02:00] From generalist to focused positioning [00:08:00] Attracting clients through content marketing  [00:13:00] Client onboarding with program evaluation roadmaps [00:21:00] Using the podcast to build authority  [00:25:00] The importance of positioning [00:28:00] Pricing and selling high-value services  [00:36:00] The roadmapping sales process [00:44:00] Writing effective proposals  [00:51:00] Increasing profits through pricing  [00:53:00] Growing through managed services [00:56:00] Conclusion ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Bonus · Tue, December 05, 2023

The Real Reason You Started A Business

The Real Reason You Started A Business You started a business to help people - and you do help people! - but let’s be honest... you could help people as an employee working for someone else. The real reason you started a business was for the freedom. The freedom of doing what you want, when you want, where you want, with whom you want. So, if you’ve been running your business for a while, but the freedom just hasn’t come yet, I have something that might help. Get your freedom without compromising your business success Folks often ask how I can possibly maintain... a daily mailing list a weekly podcast monthly course launches a coaching community with 700+ members a group of private coaching clients and more... ...all completely on my own without a single employee or VA or anything. I know it seems like I must be working all the time, but the reality is that I get all this done in just a few hours per week. Most weeks, it feels like I spend more time at karate and the gym than doing anything work-related. Heck, I recently took the kids to Disney World for a week, and my business output didn’t miss a beat. Go behind-the-scenes If you’ve ever wondered how I sustain such a high level of productivity year after year, you’re in luck. On Thursday, December 7th, 2023 at 1:00pm ET , I am giving a behind-the-scenes look at the ruthlessly simple time management system I use to run my solo practice. The webinar is NOT open to the public. If you want to attend, you must be a member of my Ditcherville coaching community. Here’s a sample of what to expect: How I process my inbox in five minutes or less How I use my calendar differently than most people How I use my todo lists to prevent getting overwhelmed How I use SOPs to supercharge my productivity and conserve creative energy How my systems work together to keep me focused, not distracted Live Q&A There will be plenty of time for Q&A, so if there’s something I don’t cover that you’re interested in, ask. I’ll answer every question, even if I have to stay late to do it. Will it be recorded? Yes, the presentation will be recorded, but the replay will only be available for 48 hours. After that, it’s gone for good. This is the first time I’ve shared this info anywhere. I don’t know if I’ll do it again. So, this might be your only chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at how I run my business. See you there? If you feel like you’re working so hard that you can’t get ahead and desperately want to get back to running your business instead of it

Tue, November 14, 2023

Jonathan on Everyone Hates Marketers with Louis Grenier

The handsome and talented Louis Grenier had me on Everyone Hates Marketers to go behind the scenes on how I run my business. Much to my delight (and true to form), he asked very specific and pointed questions so we could avoid the typical BS you hear on business podcasts. It's also on YouTube if you prefer to watch: Watch Now » Louis’ Links: https://www.everyonehatesmarketers.com/links ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, October 24, 2023

Alexander Lapa - The Non-Profit Salesforce Guy

Alexander Lapa joined me on ditching Hourly for a tour-de-force journey through the paths available to tech folks operating with a post-hourly mentality. Talking Points: Setting fixed prices and sticking to them can result in profitable client relationships. Specializing in a specific target market, such as nonprofits, improves marketing efforts and increases client trust. Value-based pricing allows for more freedom and flexibility, including the ability to take vacations without compromising income.  Alex's Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderlapa/ Consulting: https://dryadconsulting.com/ Product: https://dryadreceipting.com/ Newsletter: https://thegoodenoughconsultant.com/ Podcast: https://dryadconsulting.com/podcast Notes: (AI generated) Salesforce architect Alexander Lapa shares his journey of transitioning from hourly billing to fixed pricing in the nonprofit industry.  He discusses the motivations behind the switch, the challenges faced, and the significant benefits experienced through value-based pricing.  Lapa emphasizes the importance of scoping projects, creating template proposals for efficiency, and offering advisory and mentoring services tailored to each client's unique needs.  The shift to fixed pricing improved client relationships, increased revenue, and provided more freedom and flexibility.  Additionally, the transcript highlights the advantages of customizing the Salesforce platform for specific organizational requirements, de-risking the investment, and increasing ROI.  Also explored are the processes, challenges, and benefits of building apps on the Salesforce platform, as well as the value of being on Salesforce's AppExchange.  Lapa shares insights on patience and understanding when working with Salesforce and offers valuable advice for beginners in the field. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't fe

Tue, September 19, 2023

Rod Aparicio - The Myth of Personal Brand

Fellow daily emailer and No-BS marketer Rod Aparicio joined me on Ditching Hourly to bust the myth of personal branding. Rod’s Links Twitter Profile Email List AI Summary In this episode, Jonathan Stark and guest Rod Aparicio discuss the concept of personal brand and its misconceptions. They emphasize that personal brand is more about influencing perceptions rather than controlling how one is perceived. The importance of authenticity and credibility in building a personal brand is highlighted, along with the distinction between brand and reputation. The episode also explores the relevance of personal branding for solopreneurs and small businesses, emphasizing the need for positioning oneself and focusing on the needs of the target market rather than obsessing over self-image or becoming an influencer. Credibility and trust are emphasized as crucial factors in attracting and retaining clients for solopreneurs. Key Points Authenticity can be defined differently, with some emphasizing being true to oneself and others focusing on being different from others. Building a personal brand requires a curated version of oneself, but should align with one's values and not be hypocritical. Aspiration is the desire to become something, while inspiration is the internal motivation to do what one truly wants. Aspiration in personal branding could lead to a lack of authenticity and failure. Positioning oneself based on alignment and targeting the right audience is more valuable than building a personal brand. A credible offer, backed by testimonials, case studies, and referrals, builds trust with potential clients. Personal branding can lead to a sense of desperation and may not result in long-term success. Best Quotes “A personal brand is mainly how people can control how they want to be seen and perceived by others.” “A reputation can be linked to a person, and a brand is something that you make artificial.” ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word,

Tue, September 12, 2023

Zach Stevens - Going from Zero to $36k MRR with a Product-Marketing-as-a-Service Subscription Business

Graphic designer, product marketer, and co-founder of Conversion Factory, Zach Stevens, joined me on Ditching Hourly to explain how he and his co-founders went from zero to more than $36k MRR in one month with a productized subscription business that helps SaaS teams turn traffic into revenue. Zach's links: https://www.conversionfactory.co/ https://twitter.com/zstvns https://www.designdive.co/ Talking Points: The fear of not being able to fulfill client expectations led to starting small with a hypothesis-driven approach. Communication is primarily done through asynchronous channels like Notion and Loom, with some exceptions for in-person meetings. Building rapport with clients and providing detailed explanations of deliverables enhances communication and feedback. Centralizing communication efforts avoids the nightmare of having to navigate multiple platforms and channels. Work-life harmony is about acknowledging that work and personal life will fluctuate in priority. Quotable Quotes: “Our conversion rate only had to be in the thousandths of a percentage point to be booked solid.” “We only wanna take on five clients at one time to see how well we manage the workload.” “More than half of our clients right now are on a higher strategy-based $9k/mo tier.” “At the initial onset, it did feel like there was a lot going on, but then it kind of fizzled out, and things got a lot smoother.” “We love using tools like Loom, anything that we can do to make it feel like we are in the room with them.” “If you follow this model and it works, you’re going to have way more concurrent clients than you’re used to.” ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, August 22, 2023

David Shriner-Cahn - Helping Corporate Refugees Start, Run, and Grow Their Own Businesses

David Shriner-Cahn of Smashing the Plateau joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about how longtime corporate execs can increase the odds of going out on their own successfully.  Key Points Taking the leap into entrepreneurship can be daunting, but with the right support and mentorship, it is possible to build a successful business. It's important to decide whether you want to look for another job or truly commit to building a business, as both require different mindsets and energies. Make the decision between being your own boss or maintaining the comfort of a steady paycheck. Understand the differences between being an employee and an entrepreneur. Identify your current stage in the transition and determine any obstacles holding you back. Validate your business idea by having conversations with people in your target market, industry experts, and potential clients. Joining a community of like-minded entrepreneurs can provide collaboration opportunities and support. Best Quotes "My mission in life is to help corporate refugees start, run, and grow their own businesses so they can do more of what they love and get paid what they're worth." "I was doing what I was taught to do in engineering school, which is to focus on solving engineering problems. What I didn't focus on was the fact that the company that I worked for had lost a huge portion of their business and ended up firing a significant chunk of the staff." "In those days, the model was you went to work for one of these big companies, and if you stayed there, usually it was like 20 plus years, you were eligible to receive a pension. And in those days, pensions were a defined benefit. So you really needed to be with one of these companies for a long time." "I really wanted to figure out a way to just be in control of my career and my family's financial health in a way that I knew that I wouldn't be as an employee." "At some point, you need to make a decision about whether you're going to look for another job or build a business because they require very different mindsets and activities." "What's way better is to talk to three kinds of people about the problem." "If you're looking for something that you can sell in your sleep, you know, an evergreen, like a digital product, then it would be a do-it-yourself." David’s Links https://smashingtheplateau.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidshrinercahn/ https://twitter.com/smashingplateau ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your

Thu, August 17, 2023

Luke Willis - $39k Launch

Our resident crypto/web3 expert and longtime friend of the show, Luke Willis, re-joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about how having a weekly podcast and daily mailing list contributed to a product launch that generated $39k in 24 hours.  Luke’s Links: https://lukewillis.com/ https://thekoinpress.com/ https://kap.domains/about Summary In this episode, Luke Willis discusses the successful launch of KAP, a blockchain app offering NFT name services. He reveals the mechanics behind the launch, the problem it solves, and the unique features of KoinOS blockchain. Luke shares how he generated $39,000 in just 24 hours and the key factors that contributed to his success. Additionally, Luke highlights the journey of building trust within the blockchain community, their initial DAPs, launch strategy, and positive reception. They provide a platform demonstration and emphasize the power of blockchain technology. Furthermore, Luke emphasizes the benefits of having a podcast and mailing list to build trust, authority, and attract a loyal audience for a successful launch. Key Points Luke Willis shares his experience and success in launching the KAP blockchain app. Pricing for KAP is based on the length of the name, with options available for various budgets. Experienced a spike in sales during the initial launch, followed by steady sales in the following weeks. Plan to expand the platform by launching a free tier, enabling users without coins to access and utilize the platform’s features. Launching during a crypto winter can still be successful. Speculating on tokens can lead to potential profits in the future. Building trust and authority through consistent content publishing. (Generated by podcastshownotes.ai ) ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanst

Wed, August 16, 2023

Coaching Call with Data Engineer Denis Gontcharov

Denis Gontcharov joined me on Ditching Hourly for a coaching call to help brainstorm a positioning statement for his data consulting business targeting the aluminum industry. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, August 15, 2023

John Grant - Streamlining Delivery Workflows for Lawyers

The Agile Attorney, John Grant, joined me on Ditching Hourly to share how he helps his clients transition from inefficient workflows, WAY too much work, and low margins, to efficient workflows, a comfortable amount of work, and higher profits. Key Points Expectations for attention to detail and planning increase in high-dollar professional services like law practices. Many law practices lack upfront planning and make assumptions based on past experiences. Transition planning is often triggered by the need for change in firms that have been operating in the same way for many years. Maximizing employee utilization can lead to gridlock and hinder growth. Phased flat fees, where different phases of a case or project are billed at a flat rate, provide flexibility and room for adjustment. The desire for fixed pricing and the potential for higher rewards motivates software developers to move towards productization. In the legal industry, professionals are transitioning from delivery work to strategy work. Best Quotes “When the lawyer does plan, oftentimes they plan for this sort of ideal situation.” “If you are constantly having to do QA on other people’s work, it’s really hard to feel like you’re ever gonna get off that hamster wheel.” “The beautiful thing is that if you take the time and you begin to express your quality standards in a written form, then you can actually push those standards upstream.” “I think there’s been a ton of movement away from hourly billing. I think there’s more movement than most people in the profession want to recognize.” “Different ways of exchanging value for their services than they were certainly when I first hung my shingle back in 2008.” “It turned on this mechanism in my brain that immediately started asking, ‘How can I make this more effective and efficient, quicker, less work for me without cutting corners?’” “So it’s like even if they came close to what they would’ve made hourly, they have set themselves up in a way that they can deliver that thing probably in half of the time for the same money.” John's Links https://www.agileattorney.com/ https://law.builders/@AgileAttorney ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in

Tue, August 01, 2023

James Williams - Fractional CTO Masterclass

James Williams of Cofebe.com joined me on Ditching Hourly to give what amounted to a masterclass on how to avoid failure and delight clients as a fractional CTO. “The chance of failure increases proportionally with you accepting what the client tells you what to do.” “If you accept 100% of your client’s suggestions and three months from they can’t launch or it fails, guess whose fault that is.” “If you keep the narrative on the goal, you can avoid debates about scope.” “I lead with questions from the back.” “I ask a trillion questions upfront to disqualify prospects before considering pricing.” “I’d rather take the advisory part and use the client’s dev team whenever possible.“ “I’d rather use their team than mine.” ”We don’t even do scope of work.“ “It’s not about the hours. It’s about the outcomes.” “To guide the engineers, I write paragraphs on how the client should feel at every demo and what the qualitative goal should be.“ “My goal is always to get smaller, not bigger.” James’ Links Website: https://www.cofebe.com/ Courses: https://courses.cofebe.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdubyou/ Substack: https://jdubyou.substack.com/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Thu, July 27, 2023

Michael Zipursky - Selling Consulting Into Large Organizations in 2023

Guest Bio Michael Zipursky – Michael has consulted for organizations and advised leaders throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Middle East in over 30 industries, from service providers to billion-dollar multi-national corporations, including Panasonic, Dow Jones, Financial Times, Royal Bank and many others.  Michael is an in-demand speaker and gives keynotes and workshops for the Certified Management Consultants Association, Canadian Internet Marketing Conference, Social Media Camp, and others.  Michael’s work has appeared in MarketingProfs, Huffington Post, Financial Times, FOX Business, Maclean's, HR Executive, Business Edge, Marketing Magazine, and in several other media and publications.  He is the author of 5 books , including:  Elite Consulting Mind Consulting Success® ACT NOW Follow Michael on Twitter @MichaelZipursky and LinkedIn Michael Zipursky or learn more at his website: ConsultingSuccess.com And here's the fees guide that Michael mentioned on the show: What Consultants Really Charge In 2023 ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, July 18, 2023

Ron Baker - Time’s Up!

Pricing legend Ron Baker joined me again (for a record-setting fourth appearance!) on Ditching Hourly to talk about the nuances of the subscription model for service business. Talking Points Subscription pricing is becoming increasingly prevalent, with the subscription economy projected to reach $1.5 trillion by 2025. Pricing tiers can be implemented based on the range of services offered, providing flexibility for customers. Providing outcomes and guiding transformations creates a better customer experience. Non-rival assets, such as knowledge and ideas, can be leveraged through subscriptions, allowing professionals to serve more clients simultaneously. Wasting customers' time is a major downfall in many professional firms, and subscriptions can help mitigate this by fostering consistent and meaningful client interactions. Subscription is a straightforward pricing model that offers a set price for a defined range of services or products. There is a potential shift towards performance-based payment models, where sellers are paid based on results rather than promises. Quotable Quotes “The more services we pile on brick by brick, we add more value.” “If you're going to the market with an uncommon offering, you're commanding uncommon prices.” “You are building lifetime annuities that are worth more than it costs you to acquire them.” “A business model explains where revenue will be earned when services are provided free of charge.” “I do think it's a way station. I think we'll move to a world where we're actually paid for performance and not promises.” “We're too busy selling services brick by brick by brick by brick. And that's not where our value is.” Ron’s Links Twitter: https://twitter.com/ronaldbaker LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronbaker1/ The Soul of Enterprise: https://www.thesoulofenterprise.com/ Times-up Club: https://timesupclub.com/ Verasage: https://www.verasage.com/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guar

Tue, June 20, 2023

Ryan Golgosky - Productized Subscription Model for Web Design

180Sites.com founder Ryan Golgosky joined me on Ditching Hourly to explain in detail how his web design company manages to add and service more than 30 new clients per month! Ryan’s Links: 180sites.com ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, June 13, 2023

The Song Of Significance with Seth Godin (TBOA #285)

Cross-post from The Business of Authority : Seth Godin joins us again, this time to answer the core question in his brand-new book “The Song of Significance”: What does it take to do work that matters? Talking Points Why right now is the best time ever to make a significant contribution to the change you want to see in your world. The importance of focusing on the smallest viable audience to accomplish significant work. How to transform your work into your art (hint: it includes the story you tell yourself about where you’re going). Why “soft skills” need to be considered as “real skills”—and why they are often far more valuable than skills that can be easily measured. What to tell yourself to push past imposter syndrome. Quotable Quotes “It's way more likely that adroit, committed, passionate, smart people are going to realize they have more tools than anyone on Earth ever had before.”—SG “What I'm trying to help undo is industrial brainwashing and remind people that significance comes from making a change in the world.”—SG  “I've done more than 200 projects in my career. I've never missed a budget, and I have never missed a deadline. And the reason is that when I run outta time, or I run outta money, I'm done.”—SG “The key to significant work, particularly for the soloist you're talking about, is understanding the power of the smallest viable audience. The goal cannot be the biggest possible audience, ‘cuz that will water down your work and wreck it.”—SG “Part of my contribution is helping people tell themselves a story so they can transform parts of their day from work to art.”—SG “Real skills are honesty, generosity, leadership, connection, charisma, creativity, a sense of humor.”—SG  “We have filled our lives with dangerous, ineffective proxies. Things we measure that look like they're gonna give us a hint as to what we're gonna get, but they don't.”—SG “People say, how do I get rid of imposter syndrome? And I say you can't. And that's a good thing because feeling like an imposter is a symptom that A, you're not a sociopath, and B, you're actually doing something difficult. Something important, something that might not work, something you can't prove because you're leading.”—SG Links The Song of Significance The Carbon Almanac ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizin

Tue, June 06, 2023

Denis Čahuk - Building Autonomous Engineering Teams

Denis Čahuk (aka “Coach Denis”) joined me on Ditching Hourly to share his experiences as an engineering team coach in the tech industry.  He discusses his coaching approach of on-the-job training, or just-in-time training, and his focus on helping tech leaders improve modularity and productivity. He also shares insights on attracting leads, ideal buyers, expensive problems, and improving ROI. Additionally, he discusses his strict KPIs, pricing model, cancellation of sprints, use of JIRA, and minimal rituals for successful teams. 05:50 - “My ideal buyer is a tech lead, an engineering manager, some kind of VP, or a tech technical leader in engineering that has direct reports who are individual contributors.” 17:51 - “It is really easy to avoid Friday releases if you plan not to do them.” 22:22 - “I wrote a script that mimicked doing exactly what the dev did, but it took them two hours, and my script runs it in 40 seconds.” 33:29 - “They would waste 30 minutes every day just checking, ‘Wait, do you mean the thing thing or the other thing thing?’” 36:35 - “But what we are measuring with that last subjective metric is essential. And if the team did well this sprint, did they celebrate?” 47:31 - “I encourage them to cancel the sprint once the team is no longer following the goal.” Related links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deniscahuk/ https://craftingtechteams.substack.com/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, May 30, 2023

Geraldine Carter - Finding Your Niche: Tackling Objections and Getting Traction

Longtime friend-of-the-show and “three-peat” guest Geraldine Carter returns to go deep on the trials, tribulations, and benefits of niching down on a target market. Talking Points Going all in and telling everyone where you’re headed is key to getting traction If starting from scratch, think about what gets you excited and what kind of work you enjoy doing Don’t be afraid to be transparent with existing clients when transitioning to a new niche Managing cash flow is crucial during the transition period Not getting traction feels uncomfortable but should be serially solved, while not fitting into a niche is a feeling of discomfort that doesn’t go away Niching down has many advantages, including having your own set of people and having more control over your calendar ACFA can sell certain kinds of financial advisory products and services, but it’s more common for certified financial planners and financial advisors Quotable Quotes 04:27 “They know down deep inside where they wanna be, but they just haven’t given themselves time and space or permission to let that idea surface as a possible business model.” 21:50 “Once you dive into your niche, you realize just how much there is to learn.” 24:01 “It’s almost like a process of elimination where they need to know what wrong feels like in order to know what Right feels like.” 26:32 “Who do you like working with? What gets you excited? What are the things that you think about when you can’t help thinking about them?” 31:49 “It’s not the curfuffle that you imagine it’s going to be in your mind.” 35:19 “There are a lot of pieces, there are a lot of moving parts, and it includes you having a good product, you talking about that product, but also not just talking, but speaking compellingly about the product.” 41:15 “CPAs do have it easy in a way, and it’s fair that they are in a profession that is in some ways legally required to purchase the service of.” ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: <a href="

Tue, May 23, 2023

Dr. J.J. Peterson - Building A Business Beyond Hourly Billing

Dr. JJ Peterson, head of StoryBrand, joined me on Ditching Hourly to explain why he says, “You can't build a business on hourly billing.” JJ emphasizes the importance of value pricing and project-based billing for delivering results and customer satisfaction. He offers advice on storytelling and differentiation, finding your target audience, and building an email list for lead nurturing. Talking Points Building value-add strategies is crucial to satisfying your customers Professional pricing is focused on value for each project, not solely billable hours Value pricing involves reverse engineering and scoping based on different budgets Productized services can help predict income and make services profitable over time Storytelling is a powerful tool for making sense of information and engaging customers Mailing lists and podcasts can increase awareness and trust Find platforms where your target audience hangs out and offer value before selling Quotable Quotes 07:16 “Showing clients what kind of return they're going to get is a huge way to position yourself as value in the field.” 22:00 “Story takes a bunch of information that's out there and puts it all in a form that makes sense to somebody.” 29:00 “It's not about you, it's about what your skills and experience do to solve their problem.” 35:28 “Clarify your message first. Figure out what your messaging is gonna be before you do spend money on anything, creating anything else.” 37:33 “You wanna be on those stages. Then the second part about that is once you figure out where you wanna be, you wanna go into those places, and you wanna add a ton of value, don't wanna actually go in and sell.” 39:25 “Building your audience with free stuff and then charge quote unquote for the next level, which is to get your email address.” 47:07 “What you bring to businesses and the problems that you solve and the value that you bring is huge. So don't sell yourself short.” J.J.'s Bio Dr. J.J. Peterson has used the StoryBrand Framework to help thousands of organizations clarify their message in order to grow their business. He teaches leaders how to leverage the power of story in marketing and messaging to get results through his Marketing Made Simple Podcast. J.J. holds a Ph.D. in Communication and has spent the last 20 years practicing and teaching communication theory. He has studied C.S. Lewis in Oxford, debated theology with filmmakers at the Sundance Film Festival, directed a documentary, served in marketing and PR for two multinational non-profit organizations, is currently an adjunct professor at the Owen School of Business at Vanderbilt University, and has spoken to thousands of people about creating a clear message. As the Head of StoryBrand, J.J. travels around the world facilitating StoryBrand wo

Tue, May 16, 2023

Denis Čahuk - Find Out What’s Valuable And Then Do Nothing Else

Tech trainer and coach Denis Čahuk joined me on Ditching Hourly to explain how he doubled his income by selling his value instead of selling his CV. Denis’ links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deniscahuk/ https://craftingtechteams.substack.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@technologistpodcast Additional notes from https://www.podcastshownotes.ai/ Key Points Productized services are key in creating an offer for clients rather than just presenting a list of skills. The process of discovering an offer's outcome and connecting it with the needs of the client is crucial for productized services. Embracing the value-based pricing approach helps clients see the benefits of paying for expertise rather than just services. Self-publishing on Gum Road can attract tech leads, engineers, freelancers, and individuals in tech looking for a career. Focus on the things that bring value and decide what not to do on a project Overcoming self-inflicted limitations: Dennis holds tactical sessions to help teams break free from their own limitations and company culture. Finding what's valuable and doing nothing else: eliminating waste is more important than improving current processes. Best Quotes 22:20 "That was super easy cuz by that point, I made like nine YouTube videos, which were about 30 hours of conversations." 23:28 "It does seem to highlight those aspects of coding that make things easier to change and cheaper to maintain into the actual workflow." 24:59 "Okay, this isn't about you, the developer. This is about your team and what your team might be going through." 36:02 "It's like, okay, "how can we get fulfillment?" How can we get that kick-ass "hell yeah!" feeling for developers without forcing them to go vegan and do yoga." 39:11 "And then rather than telling you, I also show you." 43:16 "Just talk to the customer. Find out what's valuable and then do nothing else." 49:32 "The overall message is "think bigger" and don't get hung up on wanting to grind on the disengagement of the employees." ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call wi

Tue, May 09, 2023

Luke Willis - Taxes, Inflation, and the Psychology of Currency

Our resident crypto expert and longtime friend of the show, Luke Willis, joined me on Ditching Hourly to explore the psychology and mechanics of inflation. Links mentioned in the episode Luke’s Websites: https://lukewillis.com/ https://thekoinpress.com/ Milton Friedman Speaks: Money and Inflation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_nGEj8wIP0 ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, May 02, 2023

James Turner - Selling Credits Instead of Hours

James Turner, partner at SNAP Copy, joined me on Ditching Hourly to explain the nuances and benefits of selling copywriting services by the credit, not by the hour or the word. About James James E. Turner is a marketing strategist and conversion copywriter. He’s a partner at SNAP Copy, offering conversion-optimized copy on demand using a unique, credit-based system. Through his personal consultancy, Turner Creative, he works with founders of indie B2B SMBs to better position their value, understand their audience, and optimize their messaging & marketing. The best way to get in touch with James is to sign up for his short, off-beat daily emails about creativity, productivity, business ownership, and giving yourself a break at One Creative Moment. One Creative Moment - https://turnercreative.ck.page/one-creative-moment-signup Turner Creative - https://turnercreative.ca SNAP Copy - https://snapcopy.co LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/turnercreative/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, April 25, 2023

Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation - How to Monetize a Content-First Business

Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about how he grew his mailing list and podcast audiences to 100k+ each and how he got started making money without offering high-ticket services.  Side Hustle Nation   The Side Hustle Show Custom Playlist   http://hustle.show https://twitter.com/nloper https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickloper/ (Additional show notes generated by Podium.page) Episode Keywords: Podcast Sponsorships, Monetizing Content, Content-First Businesses, Nick Loper, Side Hustle Show, Thought Leadership, Listener Pyramid, Email List, Mailing List, Multiple Income Streams, Online Content Empire, Freelancing, Consulting, Customized Playlist, Podcast Audience, Podcast Ad Sales, Sponsored Links, Evergreen Content, Facebook Groups, Keyword-Rich Content Episode Summary: In this episode, I explore podcast sponsorships and monetizing content-first businesses with guest Nick Loper, host of the Side Hustle Show. We discuss the importance of differentiating oneself from competitors and how publishing thought leadership can attract better clients. We delve into the challenges and potential benefits of monetizing a podcast through sponsorships and the significance of a captivating title. I also share my experiences in finding sponsors and growing my podcast audience. We also discuss the concept of climbing the listener pyramid, the importance of creating compelling content to attract and retain an audience, and the value of building an email list. I share my experience on the importance of mailing lists, the frequency of sending out newsletters and incorporating sponsored links as an additional revenue stream. We examine the numerous small income streams that can be generated through content-first businesses and strategies for building multiple income streams. Finally, we explore the benefits of a curated, customized playlist for podcast listeners and how it can help grow freelancing, consulting, and productized service businesses. By answering a few short questions, listeners can receive a selection of relevant episodes tailored to their interests and needs, ensuring they get the most out of their listening experience. Chapters: (0:00:00) - Monetizing a Podcast and Mailing List (0:10:05) - The Listener Pyramid (0:16:21) - Building an Online Content Empire (0:22:38) - Strategies for Building Multiple Income Streams (0:34:40) - Growing Freelancing and Consulting Businesses ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billin

Tue, April 18, 2023

Floyd May - Pricing Software Development Based On Shares, Not Hours

Canyon Trail founder Floyd May joined me on Ditching Hourly to describe his “shares” pricing model for software development. Floyd’s Links: https://canyon-trail.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/floyd-may/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, April 11, 2023

Tim Burris - From Annual Salary to Hourly Billing to Fixed Pricing

Longtime software developer Tim Burris joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about his transition from annual salary to hourly billing to fixed pricing and the positive effects the transition had on his day-to-day. Pretty good AI summary: In this episode, I had a fascinating conversation with Tim Burriss about his journey from being a software developer to running a product development department and eventually switching to custom software development with a focus on fixed pricing and value pricing. We discussed his unique approach to finding clients, particularly through Upwork, and how focusing on delivering outcomes rather than tech jargon has resulted in successful projects and satisfied clients. We also explored the transition from working part-time to going solo as a developer, using platforms like Upwork to find the right clients and maintain a steady income. Tim shared his experience with coaching retainers and mentoring junior developers as alternative sources of income during this transition. Throughout the conversation, we touched on the importance of trust in client relationships, the advantages of working on a fixed-price basis, and the art of determining the value of a project. We also discussed the importance of managing client expectations and scope while working on fixed-price projects and how focusing on delivering outcomes can minimize the impact of scope creep. Overall, this episode provides valuable insights and practical advice for anyone looking to move away from hourly billing and embrace a more outcome-focused approach to their work. So if you're ready to ditch hourly and build trust-based working relationships with your clients, this episode is a must-listen! Chapters: (0:00:00) - Moving Away From Hourly Billing (0:13:27) - Going Solo With Freelance Development (0:18:29) - Outcome-Based Projects (0:25:18) - Trust-Based Working Relationships (0:33:39) - Software Development Pricing (0:40:51) - Managing Risk on Projects Tim's bio: Tim has been developing software since the late 90's. After a decade of Department of Defense Research & Development followed by a decade split between non-profit and manufacturing, he set out on his own to provide custom software at a 100% guaranteed fixed price. While his target audience ranges from those who need an Excel monolith replaced with a custom web solution to pulling information from physical sensors for a total shop floor overview, his specialty is simply helping people without all the tech jargon. Tim's links: https://chalklogic.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@TimBurris https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-burris ---- Do y

Wed, March 29, 2023

Steve Folland - The Freelance Journey

Steve Folland, creator of the Being Freelance podcast and Doing it for the Kids podcast, joined me on Ditching Hourly to chat about his journey into freelancing, organic business growth, and tips for getting into the business mindset. Chapters: (0:00:00) - The Freelance Journey of Steve Folland (0:05:00) - Organic Growth of a Freelance Business (0:15:52) - Freelancing for Beginners (0:20:26) - Getting Into the Business Mindset Steve's Links: https://www.beingfreelance.com/ https://twitter.com/beingfreelance https://www.instagram.com/beingfreelance/ https://www.youtube.com/stevefolland https://www.doingitforthekids.net/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, March 28, 2023

Alain Chautard - Four Ways To Monetize Technical Expertise

Angular expert Alain Chautard joined me on Ditching Hourly to share the novel ways he escaped the trap of trading time for money by packaging and pricing his platform expertise. Alain's Bio Alain is a Google Developer Expert in Web Technologies, Angular, and Google Maps. His daily mission is to help development teams adopt Angular and build at scale with the framework. He has taught front-end development on all six continents. A world traveler and photographer, Alain is also an international conference speaker, and a published author of several video courses. Alain's Links Website: https://www.angulartraining.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/achautard/ Daily Newsletter: https://www.angulartraining.com/daily-newsletter/ Certification program: https://www.angulartraining.com/angular-certification.html ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, March 21, 2023

Coaching Call with ex-Googler Kartick Vaddadi

Ex-Googler Kartick Vaddadi joined me on Ditching Hourly to brainstorm which of his offerings might be most compelling and to find ways to increase the number of leads flowing into his business. Kartick’s Links Website: https://kartick.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ConsultingCTO ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, March 14, 2023

Ditching Hourly Fireside Chat with Ed Gandia and Jonathan Stark

This week I am joined by Ed Gandia. Ed is the co-author of The Wealthy Freelancer, the host of the High-Income Business Writing podcast, and a coach to ambitious writers and copywriters who want to earn more in less time doing work they love for better clients. As you can probably tell from this bio, Ed and I are very much kindred spirits, so this episode is a bit different than most. Instead of me interviewing Ed like a normal guest appearance, we decided to just have a chat where we compared notes on what were see working in our respective spaces. There was a lot of overlap but also some interesting differences. Ed will also be posting our recording on his podcast, so if you're subscribed to both, you don't need to listen twice :) Ed's Links: https://b2blauncher.com/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, March 07, 2023

Mitch Kowalski - Helping Law Firms Ditch Hourly Billing

Legal operations advisor and law professor Mitch Kowalski joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about innovation in the legal profession, including alternatives to hourly billing. Talking Points The history of hourly billing in the legal profession Transparency in pricing (and why hourly billing isn't transparent at all) The perverse incentives of hourly billing Why billing hourly short changes you if you are good at what you do The importance of breaking a big project into small chunks Why lawyers remain in the “dark ages,” technologically speaking The mental health effects of hourly billing ”Working toward the price” Price as an initial design constraint Reverse engineering your costs to support your desired pricing Mitch’s Links Website: https://kowalski.ca Twitter: https://twitter.com/MEKowalski LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchkowalski ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Bonus · Mon, March 06, 2023

The Pricing Seminar v11

Are you ready to start getting paid what you’re worth? The Pricing Seminar is back for its 11th session, and registration is open now. Enroll Now » I hope to see you there! ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, February 28, 2023

Sew Heidi - The Business of Fashion Design

Sew Heidi is a business coach and educator who helps freelance fashion designers build better businesses. She joined me on Ditching Hourly to compare notes on the similarities and differences between freelancing in fashion vs. freelancing in software. Spoiler alert: There was a lot more in common than you might expect. Episode Summary In this episode, we discuss the journey of fashion freelancing, the business of fashion design, the complexities of product development, the transition to permanent freelancing, and the business-building principles for freelancing. Our guest Heidi shares her success story of becoming a fashion freelancer in 2009 and building a six-figure income in just 30-40 hours a week. We discuss the roles and processes involved in the fashion industry, from fashion design to pattern-making and textile design. We also cover the importance of niche-down and positioning for business success and the importance of cash flow and finance. This episode is full of valuable insight for anyone looking to become a successful freelancer of any type. Heidi’s Bio After running a brand I grew to hate and working 60+ hours in a toxic fashion job, I almost burnt out of the fashion industry. But then I found freelancing. I reached $100k+ and was living my dream, working when I wanted, traveling, and I never worried about paying the bills. I worked for myself, earned steady income, and loved my clients. #winwinwin Since then, I’ve taught 1000s of fashion freelancers to do the same through my free content, my podcast, and my program, Freelance Accelerator : from Surviving to Thriving (FAST). Heidi’s Links https://successfulfashiondesigner.com/   https://successfulfashiondesigner.com/fast/   (Heidi’s Freelance Accelerator program) https://successfulfashiondesigner.com/podcast/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: <

Tue, February 14, 2023

Jason Lengstorf - Learning Together Online As A Full-Time Job

Jason Lengstorf joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about the novel way he's using his generalist web skills to create value, have fun, and make a living. Jason's Bio: Jason Lengstorf is the host of Learn With Jason , a web generalist and the undefeated smashburger champ. A creative technologist and educator, Jason helps tech companies connect with developer communities through better devrel strategy and creative media production. He advocates for continued learning through collaboration and play as the fastest path to growth, and models this on weekly livestreams where he pair programs with experts from around the community to learn something new in 90 minutes. He’s trying his very best to follow his own advice . When this whole internet thing goes out of style, he'll probably open a food truck in his home city of Portland, Oregon. Jason's Links: https://www.jason.af/links https://www.learnwithjason.dev/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, February 07, 2023

Junaid Ahmed - From UX Designer to Home Studio Architect

Home studio architect and author Junaid Ahmed joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about why it's important to look and sound your best on camera, how to level up your home studio without spending a lot of time or money, and the novel approach he took to writing and publishing his new book, Mastering iPhone Video Production. Junaid's Bio: Junaid Ahmed is a Home Studio Architect, podcast host, and filmmaker with over three decades of experience. He specializes in creating optimized home studios for confident content creation and high-quality video production. As a seasoned professional, Junaid has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in this field and shares it through his podcast, "Hacks and Hobbies." Junaid's Links : Book Link: https://superjunaid.com/iphonevideo/ 5-Day Challenge Link: https://homestudiomastery.com/5DayChallenge/ Home Studios: https://homestudiomastery.com Blog/Personal: https://superjunaid.com ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, January 31, 2023

Jeff Doolittle - From Web Dev To Software Architect

Jeff Doolittle is a software architect, transformational leader, and se-radio.net host who’s on a mission to make good software professionals great. Jeff joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about his journey from a web dev working for free pizza to an in-demand software architect. Along the way, we talked about the importance of strategy, systems thinking as applied to software, and finding a balance between “wonk” and “geek” in order to deliver real business value. Related Links Jeff's website Jeff's LinkedIn Jeff's Twitter Jeff's Github Exploring Requirements: Quality Before Design On the Criteria To Be Used in Decomposing Systems into Modules iDesign.net Lean Software Systems Engineering for Developers Thinking in Systems: A Primer ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, January 24, 2023

Reuven Lerner - Building A Software Training Business In 2023

In-demand Python teacher Reuven Lerner joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about building a software training business in 2023. Reuven's links: - https://lerner.co.il , Reuven's main site - https://BetterDevelopersWeekly.com/ , Reuven's Python + software engineering list - https://TrainerWeekly.com , Reuven's newsletter about training - And Reuven frequently posts to Twitter and LinkedIn if people want to follow him there ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, January 10, 2023

Brandon Reed - Instant Success With Fixed Price Options

Landscape architect Brandon Reed joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss how ditching hourly billing, offering fixed price options, and niching down transformed his firm. Brandon's Links: Website LinkedIn Instagram ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, December 20, 2022

Erica Goode, CPA - Inflation, Recession, Cash flow, and Taxes

CPA Erica Goode joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about how coaches and consultants should think about inflation, recession, cash flow, and taxes. Erica's Bio: Erica Goode, CPA owns an accounting firm serving coaches and consultants through accounting and CFO services. Erica's Newsletter: https://www.ericagoode.com/newsletter-signup Erica's Podcast:  Coaches, Consultants, and Money (available everywhere, but here's the iTunes link ) NOTE: Episodes 3 - 7 are "Business Money 101" and a great place to start. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, December 06, 2022

Mitch Herrema - High Ticket Productized Services

Mitch Herrema of Bulb Digital joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about his experience selling high-ticket productized services. Mitch's links:  Website Twitter ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, November 29, 2022

Erin Balsa - From “Hit or Miss” Proposals to a 100% Close Rate

Erin Balsa of Haus of Bold joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about the dramatic success she experienced once switching to my 5-page proposal template. NOTE: The audio on this episode is a little rough, but Erin shared a ton of valuable insights, so I wanted to release it anyway. I've included an auto-generated transcript for this episode if you'd prefer to read it.  Erin's Links: Haus of Bold The Notorious Thought Leader Podcast Erin on LinkedIn ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, November 22, 2022

Coaching Call with Vikram Shetty

Vikram Shetty of 73bit.com joined for a coaching call on Ditching Hourly to help clarify the difference between the end user, target market, and ideal buyer for his sustainability benchmarking SaaS product. Vikram's links: https://73bit.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikramshettyc/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sustainability-scores/id1575726960 ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, November 15, 2022

John Strohmeyer - Packaging And Selling Legal Services On A Fixed-Fee Basis

Proprietor of Strohmeyer Law, John Strohmeyer, joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about why he left a big hourly law firm to start his own practice and how he packages and sells fixed-fee legal services to avoid trading time for money.  John's bio: John Strohmeyer is the proprietor of Strohmeyer Law PLLC in Houston, where he guides individuals through the maze of estate planning, tax, and probate law to help them leave no unfinished business. John is board certified in both Tax Law and Estate Planning and Probate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. John is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (“ACTEC”, the cool-kids club for estate planners). John hosts the Five Star Counsel podcast, which attempts to answer the question, "What would a law firm built by the founders of Disney, Four Seasons, Amazon, and Zappos look like?" Based on his first career working for the Four Seasons Hotels, primarily as the Night Manager of the Austin property, he helps lawyers get better at client service, which helps them satisfy their ethical duties to their clients and convey their competence to their clients. Here is the link to John and Jonathan talking on Five Star Counsel: https://strohmeyerlaw.libsyn.com/fsc-rewind-ditching-the-billable-hour-w-jonathan-stark When he’s not practicing law, he spends his time with his wife Emily and their rescued mutts Griswold, Molly, and Billy; running marathons (45 as of August 15, 2022); and homebrewing beer. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, October 18, 2022

Geraldine Carter - Providing More Value Faster

The CPA Savior, Geraldine Carter, joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about her journey from custom coaching to productized services and how it opened up a path to seven figures for her solo business. About Geraldine Geraldine Carter is a business coach for overworked CPAs who need help getting off the tax hamster wheel. Her clients routinely generate $250K of new annual recurring revenue within the first few months of working together, while spending less time at the office. Her podcast, Business Strategy for CPAs has more than 100,000 downloads and is ranked in the top ten podcast for CPAs, by Apple Podcasts. Geraldine holds a BS in Engineering from Cornell University and is the co-founder and CFO of a company where her cashflow forecasting models resulted in millions of dollars for climate change efforts. In her free time, she can be found mountain biking forested trails or running after her two small children in her hometown of Ketchum, ID. Related links https://www.linkedin.com/in/geraldine-carter/ gc@geraldinecarter.com businessstrategyforcpas.com geraldinecarter.com ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, October 11, 2022

Coaching Call with QA Consultant Preshant Bellad

QA Consultant Preshant Bellad joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss value pricing for monthly QA services.  Jonathan,  We perform ongoing QA activities like testing, creating automated tests, breaking the app, etc We do the above for requirements that are planned per 2 weeks iteration/sprint For this client, I have been billing an average of 200 hours per month based on the features to test Some of the feature testing does get completed in the same month, and few are carried over to the next month I cannot estimate what features my team would test in the coming month hence I am not able to derive a success metric Can you pls suggest how to calculate the success metric for this situation so that I can move to value-based pricing month on monthly basis? Preshant Preshant's Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prashant-bellad/ https://pristineprotech.com/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, October 04, 2022

Reuben Swartz - Anti-CRM For People Who Hate Selling

Founder of Mimiran, Reuben Swartz, joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about the unique client relationship management needs of solo consultants and shared the novel approaches he took when building his “anti-CRM”. Reuben’s LinkedIn Mimiran CRM Jonathan on Reuben’s Podcast ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, September 27, 2022

Paul Swail - Getting Paid To Uncover Value With Roadmapping Engagements

Serverless expert Paul Swail joined me on Ditching Hourly to share how he uses paid diagnostic engagements to help land large projects without the pressure of conducting a single sales interview.  Paul's Links: https://serverlessfirst.com/ https://twitter.com/paulswail ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, September 20, 2022

Dr. Jason Troyer - Bootstrapping from Academia to Authority

Dr. Jason Troyer joined me on Ditching Hourly to share the details of his journey from tenured academic to authority entrepreneur.  Jason’s Links: https://www.jasontroyer.com/ https://www.griefplan.com/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, September 13, 2022

Dre Beltrami - Shut Up And Listen

Dre Beltrami returns to Ditching Hourly to drop her patented iconoclastic worldviews. This time around we talk about Google+, Pinterest, search vs feed, stealing longtail keywords, and for the love of god, just shutting up and listening.  Dre's links: thesolopreneursociety.com ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, September 09, 2022

The Pricing Seminar

Hello Dear Listener! I’m here to let you know that registration is now open for The Pricing Seminar. You need to know that TPS is not a DIY video course that you download and maybe someday finish watching. No, it’s an interactive online workshop where you will learn by doing.  That’s right, there’s homework and people to help keep you accountable to doing it. As a group, we walk through the process of conceiving, researching, designing, marketing, pricing, and selling to clients who are anxious to buy. So if you’re ready to finally start getting paid what you’re worth, enroll now before it’s too late. Lessons start Monday, and folks from over the world are already connecting in the private community. Go to https://thepricingseminar.com to enroll now. It only takes 60 seconds to sign up. That URL again is https://thepricingseminar.com . I hope you’ll join us!

Tue, September 06, 2022

Jason Resnick - Masterclass In Pragmatic Email Automation

Email automation guru Jason Resnick joined me on Ditching Hourly to geek out about serving subscribers more effectively with less effort. We ended up chatting for 90+ minutes, and Jason gave a master class on leveraging basic email automation techniques to create outsized results for your audience and your business. If you have a mailing list, this is a must-listen episode. If you don’t, it’s time to start :-) Jason's links: Jason Resnick NurtureKit Double Opt-in ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, August 30, 2022

Employee Mindset

Tue, August 23, 2022

Reverse Interview with Peter Mobley of Geogram

Geogram President Peter Mobley reached out to ask if he could come on Ditching Hourly to interview me, and of course, I said yes. I'm not sure that's what happened but it was a unique conversation :-) Peter's links:  Geogram hello@geogram.com ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, August 16, 2022

Generalist vs Specialists: Music Edition

Tue, August 09, 2022

Coaching Call with Voice Coach Adrian Goldner

Vocal coach and acapella group leader Adrian Goldner joined me on Ditching Hourly to brainstorm ways to package and price his expertise in more profitable ways. Unfortunately, I forgot to click the record button so I'll have to recap our conversation on my own. Whomp whomp :-( Anyway... Here's Adrian's background: - He's a vocal coach, certified in something called the CVT method - He runs an acapella choir group and makes a modest monthly income from membership dues and gig fee percentages - He has a handful or private vocal students who are not pros and mostly just sing for fun - He works a few hours per week teaching vocal lessons to students in a private university - He prefers working with pros than with beginners, so the university gig and the lessons for hobbyists are not particularly satisfying One of Adrian's biggest questions was how to take this patchwork of experiences and increase his fees through value pricing. He said that most buyer expectations for something like private vocal lessons is that the student would pay a fixed amount per lesson, and that the amount would be fairly low. He couldn't imagine justifying even doubling his lesson fees, never mind 10x-ing them. We talked about a few different business models that might make sense for someone like him. He didn't want to scale by hiring employees or starting a school or anything like that. He wanted to stay solo, and remain fairly hands on with his clients. So, the business model that felt like the best fit was the Authority Model.  In general, the Authority Model has an MVP product ladder that looks something like this:  - $50000+ Project (value priced custom engagement) - $5000 Roadmap (diagnostic with recommendations and execution plan) - $500 Call (one-off short paid consultation) The trick to the Authority Model is that you have to become the “go-to” person for solving an expensive problem for a very specific niche market, who ideally has a high degree of buying power.  Adrian couldn't really get his head around the idea of value pricing a 1-on-1 vocal project, so the example I used to illustrate was this: Sting (former lead signer of the Police) can no longer hit the high notes in their smash hit Roxanne. So, he has to perform the song a couple of whole steps lower than the original. It's noticeable and it sounds weird. Kinda like a bad cover band. I betcha this drives Sting nuts. So... How much do you think Sting would pay to be able to go back to singing Roxanne in the original key? $50,000? $100,000? Maybe, maybe not... but it's a reasonable hypothesis. If Adrian wanted to pursue this particular angle, his positioning would look something like: “I am a vocal reconditioning coach who helps aging rock stars hit the high notes like they were 20 again.” With a positioning statement like this, it would be easy to make a list of ideal clients, and

Tue, August 02, 2022

Fancy Dams

Tue, July 26, 2022

Michael Lynch - I Regret My $46k Website Redesign

Michael’s Links I Regret My $46k Website Redesign Tiny Pilot Michael’s Twitter ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, July 19, 2022

Japanese Maple

Tue, July 12, 2022

Mind The Gap

Tue, July 05, 2022

Keyboard Smashing Fury

Tue, June 28, 2022

Joel Clermont - From Hourly Billing Agency Owner to Value Pricing Soloist

Joel Clermont joined me on Ditching Hourly to detail his multi-year transition from "hourly billing" agency owner to "value pricing" soloist. Joel's Links MasteringLaravel.io ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, June 21, 2022

Are You Over Delivering? (TBOA#227)

EPISODE SUMMARY Overdelivering—giving your clients and buyers more than they expected or contracted for—is a seemingly thoughtful and helpful practice that is anything but. EPISODE NOTES Our tendency (especially in proposal situations) to acquiesce to client requests—and how to re-direct that for the good of all. The power and status dynamics surrounding consultants serving clients and what happens if we start treating clients as higher status. How overdelivering can seep into your firm’s practices and where to nip it in the bud. Developing a healthy mindset around service delivery, providing value and decoupling your fees from effort. Quotables “Your clients are a choice, just like your boss is a choice, but people often forget that walking away is one of the options.”—JS “You could say: ‘Listen, if we take out this step, I can't guarantee the transformation, and therefore I can't do that for you.’”—RM “The way to provide value to your clients is not to be obedient—it's to deliver results.”—JS “The proposal is the dress rehearsal for the engagement.”—RM “If you let prospective clients push you around in the sales process, it should come as no surprise when they push you around during the project.”—JS “The more that you consider yourself low status relative to clients, the worse you're going to feel about it.”—RM  “There's so much ‘the customer's always right’ psychology. "Wouldn't it be better to give them more than less?" No, it really wouldn't.”—JS “This is about leveraging what you have—not playing status games that have you overdelivering and creating relationships that don't work for you.”—RM Links Tara McMullin's Instagram piece on over-delivering   ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, June 14, 2022

Sunsetting Products And Services

This episode is an anonymized question that I answered in one of my Ditcherville LIVE Q&A sessions inside of my group coaching community.  ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, June 07, 2022

How Project Oversight Retainers Work

This episode is an anonymized question that I answered in one of my Ditcherville LIVE Q&A sessions inside of my group coaching community.  ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, May 31, 2022

How To Capture And Organize Ideas For A Daily Mailing List

This episode is an anonymized question that I answered in one of my Ditcherville LIVE Q&A sessions inside of my group coaching community.  ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, May 24, 2022

Kevin Freidberg - Adapting The Why Conversation

Founder of 7-Second Websites, Kevin Freidberg joined me on Ditching Hourly to describe how he has adapted The Why Conversation to better suit his personality and land nearly 100% of his prospects.  Kevin's Website Kevin's LinkedIn ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, May 17, 2022

Coaching Call with Web3 Consultant Luke Willis

Web3 Consultant Luke Willis joined me on Ditching Hourly to brainstorm ways to position and package his crypto/blockchain/web3 expertise. Luke's Links https://lukewillis.com/ https://thekoinpress.com/ https://twitter.com/lukemwillis ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, May 10, 2022

Coaching Call with UX Writer Merav Levkowitz

UX content writer, Merav Levkowitz joined me on Ditching Hourly to brainstorm ways she could get away from billing hourly for ongoing maintenance and execution work. Links Merav's Website ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, May 03, 2022

Alex Hillman - Paid Project Discovery

Author, founder, and rebel scum, Alex Hillman returned to Ditching Hourly, this time to talk about paid project discovery engagements. Alex's Links Alex's Twitter Alex's email: alex@tiny.mba The Tiny MBA by Alex Hillman ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, April 26, 2022

Solar System Content Model

Let’s say you wanted to start a daily mailing list… How would you come up with enough stuff to write about? My Solar System Content Model is the answer. Related articles Solar System Content Model Finding Your Sun ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, April 19, 2022

Punk Marketing

The core strategy behind my "punk" marketing approach. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, April 12, 2022

Absolutely Everything Can Be Measured

Other than hourly billing, this is the mindset shift that has had the biggest impact on my business.  ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, April 05, 2022

What if you had no competition?

This time on Ditching Hourly I answer a question from Kenneth Taylor about how to build a solo authority business that essentially has no competition. Related links:  Positioning Definition XY Position Statement More articles on positioning The Business of Authority ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, March 29, 2022

Coaching Call with “JavaScript-in-FileMaker” expert Jeremy Brown

“JavaScript-in-FileMaker” expert Jeremy Brown joined me on Ditching Hourly to brainstorm which business models might make the most sense for his highly specialized area of expertise. Links We Mentioned:   integratingmagic.io jsinfm.com jonathanstark.com/fm/filemaker-to-php-translation-table ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, March 08, 2022

David C. Baker - The 5 Things That Happen Right After You Specialize

The “Expertise Expert” himself, David C. Baker, joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about the five things that happen right after you specialize. Summary Here is an AI summary of the key points from the episode: The episode is a discussion between Jonathan Stark and David C. Baker about positioning and specialization for consultants and professional services firms. They discuss the importance of niche positioning to stand out, attract ideal clients, see client patterns more clearly, accelerate learning, and always have things to write and talk about. They outline 5 things that happen after narrowing your business focus: You don't instantly become smarter, but your rate of learning accelerates because you start seeing more examples of your niche. Impostor syndrome kicks in because you're making expertise-based claims you didn't make before, but this fear is often unfounded because you were willing to work with those clients previously.  You don't have to turn down unrelated work right away during the transition period, though over time, you'll likely feel unsatisfied with off-target projects. You immediately start narrowing your focus even further, fine-tuning your positioning through real-world conversations and testing.  Counterintuitively, you'll have way more to write and talk about when focused on a niche than as a generalist. Jonathan and David emphasize that niche positioning is critical before you can effectively differentiate, charge value-based pricing, market yourself, or even decide what content to produce. It brings focus to everything that follows. About David C. Baker “The Leading Authority on Positioning, Reinventing, and Selling Firms in the Creative and Digital Space.” David C. Baker is the author of five books, three of which focus on the central elements of the business of expertise: positioning, financial management, and leadership. David speaks regularly on more than 70 topics relevant to entrepreneurial expertise, from 20 executives to 5,000 live on TV worldwide, and has worked with 900+ firms through his Total Business Review process. David's Links David's Website David's book: The Business of Expertise David's podcast (with Blair Enns) ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and ge

Tue, March 01, 2022

Rick Finkelstein - The Heavy Metal Lawyer

My dear old friend Rick “Fink” Finkelstein joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about he got booked solid using fixed fees, specialization, and niching.  Related Links Fink's website Mike Fortin Liliac Guitar Player Magazine Gittler Guitar ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, February 22, 2022

Coaching Call with Trading Card Creator Colyn Brown

Longtime web developer and freshly minted trading card creator Colyn Brown joined me on Ditching Hourly to brainstorm about how to capitalize on early interest in his bluegrass trading cards. Related Links Bluegrass Trading Co. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, February 15, 2022

Digby Leigh - Alternative Fee Arrangements for the Legal Industry

Long-time lawyer, second-time guest, and first-time SaaS co-founder Digby Leigh joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about alternative fee arrangements making inroads in the legal industry. Talking Points Pricing trends in the legal industry The three most common non-hourly pricing models for law firms The benefits of "agreed upon" up-front fixed fee pricing What types of engagements aren't a good fit for fixed fee pricing What to expect when clients know they can talk to you for free instead of “on the clock” The internal attitude you need to beat back when you first ditch hourly billing The importance of being helpful The indignity of having to justify how you spend your time The magic of The Why Conversation The benefits of offering pricing options Related Links Digby’s Firm, Leigh & Co Frank Fee™ Digby’s SaaS, AltFee Goliath ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, February 08, 2022

Coaching Call with Equity-Driven Design Strategist Lucy Flores

Equity-Driven Design Strategist Lucy Flores joined me on Ditching Hourly to brainstorm her positioning. Talking Points The difference between a specialization and a niche The difference between a mission statement and a positioning statement Why positioning is especially important for soloists How to know when your positioning is specific enough Related Links Lucy's website ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, February 01, 2022

Ton Dobbe - The “Broken” Triangle

Is the problem you solve for your clients a “nice-to-have” or mission critical? Author, consultant, and podcast host, Ton Dobbe joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about the three requirements of any expensive problem, and how to reverse engineer these factors into a simple formula you can use to decide what to focus on in your positioning, segmentation, and value proposition. Taking Points The three levers of the value foundation The importance of uncovering the worldview of your ideal buyers (and how to do it) The three sides of The “Broken” Triangle How to set yourself apart from your competitors in a way that they can’t copy Related Links Ton’s book, The Remarkable Effect Ton’s Website Ton’s Podcast Ton’s LinkedIn Ton’s Twitter ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, January 25, 2022

Paul Klein - The Three Pillars of Revenue

Entrepreneur, consultant, and former hair metal guitarist Paul Klein joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about his Three Pillars of Revenue: consulting, training, and infoproducts. Making the leap to self-employment Selling your first infoproduct Using workshops to build your consulting business Niching down to grow an expertise-based consulting business Scaling up your business by getting bigger clients Increasing fees and accelerating sales by focusing on expensive problems Related Links Thou Shall Prosper by Rabbi Daniel Lapin The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It Paul's LinkedIn Paul's Consulting Website Paul's Coaching Website Paul's SaaS Website Paul's Podcast Bizable TV Yours, —J P.S. If you like Bizable , you can use coupon code DITCHINGHOURLY at checkout to save 40% forever. NOTE: This is NOT an affiliate coupon. I just think Paul's doing great stuff and you might find it useful.  ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, January 18, 2022

Coaching Call with Java Developer Alice B.

Java Developer Alice B. (name withheld by request) joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about what to do when the skills you’ve built over many years become less valuable to clients. The pros and cons of platform specialization The difference between horizontal and platform specialization What to focus on when your technical skills are no longer in demand How to spot a truly expensive problem Why freely sharing your expertise is the right thing to do The three “good, better, best” ways to generate new business Why being specific about who your ideal clients are can dramatically increase your referrals Why thinking about something harder or longer often doesn’t work The importance of having conversations How to learn to what your ideal buyers really want How cold outreach, warm referrals, and organic inbound work together The difference between “hunting” and “gardening” sales models How to know when to double down or cut bait with a given target market How to ask for testimonials from active clients before a project is finished Why your odds of success are probably better if you focus on a type of buyer instead of a particular skill Related Links Building The Perfect Testimonial The Pricing Seminar ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, January 11, 2022

Coaching Call with Business Appraiser Charlie Stanton

Business appraiser Charlie Stanton joined me on Ditching Hourly to brainstorm how to differentiate what is typically considered a commodity service. Talking Points Pricing risk mitigation instead of cost cutting or value creation Differentiating in a commoditized market Creating productized services for a specific market Partnering with adjacent business that serve the same market Connecting with the target market way before they need you Charlie's Links The listeners can find out more about Charlie at www.StantonValue.com or contact him directly at charlie@stantonvalue.com   ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, January 04, 2022

Coaching Call with Outdoor Brand Identity Designer Devin Renaud

Outdoor brand identity designer Devin Renaud joined me on Ditching Hourly to brainstorm how to get more leads.  Devin's Links:  https://fourestdesign.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/renauddesignco/ https://www.instagram.com/fourestdesign/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, December 21, 2021

Paul Boag - Helping People For Free At Scale

Paul Boag, UX consultant, digital transformation expert, and OG podcaster, joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about how helping people for free is good for business. Talking Points The value of jumping on a new platform. How podcasting creates trust. How to create a good podcast. Hunting versus gardening. Expertise by association. Video-first workflow. The benefit of publishing your mistakes instead of editing them out. Why you don’t need to be outgoing to have a podcast. The benefits of daily publishing. The trust difference between writing and speaking. The simplicity of being a helpful human being. Why you should share absolutely everything you know. How tactics change over time. Why you need to adapt for the reality you’re in. What to copy from your heros (spoiler: copy the strategy, not the tactics). Why niching down is a great way to become dominant in a sector. Why it’s critically important to find out where your ideal buyers talk to each other. How to work your way into a niche market. Show your expertise, don’t tell your expertise. Niching around an audience instead of a deliverable. Connect with Paul: Paul's website   Paul's newsletter Paul on Twitter ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, December 14, 2021

Sam Shepler - Productized Testimonials

Sam Shepler, founder of Testimonial Hero, joined me on Ditching Hourly for a wide ranging discussion about the moving parts of productized services. Links We Mentioned Sam's Twitter Testimonial Hero Haute Stock Range by David Epstein ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, December 07, 2021

Ryan Berman - Courage Is Your Competitive Advantage

Speaker, author, and entrepreneur Ryan Berman joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about using courage as a competitive advantage. Things We Mentioned Ryan’s Website Return On Courage This Book Will Make You Dangerous by Tripp Lanier Icarus Deception by Seth Godin Jonah Berger ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, November 30, 2021

Swizec Teller - The Employed Consultant

Software engineer, author, and educator Swizec Teller joined me to talk about consulting vs employment in Silicon Valley. Swizec's links: https://swizec.com/ https://twitter.com/swizec https://seniormindset.com/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, November 23, 2021

Philip Morgan - The Self-Made Expert

My good friend Philip Morgan interviewed me on The Self-Made Expert Podcast about what's been going on behind the scenes in my business for the past couple years.  We chatted about a bunch of things I don't usually get asked about, including:  My transition from surfing a once-in-a-generation tech wave to a very different kind of advisory business My inventory of nasty emails received from my mailing list How I run inexpensive experiments Links: My previous appearance on Philip's podcast Philip's main website ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, November 16, 2021

Blair Enns - Productized Services

The wonderful Blair Enns of Win Without Pitching returned to Ditching Hourly to discuss the pros and cons of productized services. Blair is generally against them and I am generally for them. Since we tend to agree on most things business-related, I wanted to have him back on the show to get to the bottom of our disconnect on this particular point. During the course of our hour-long chat, we uncovered lots of nuance and eventually understood both sides of the argument for or against. TL;DR: Whether or not offering productized services is a good move for your business depends on several factors, including:  Whether you're a soloist or a big firm How good you are at sales Your business goals Blair's links: https://www.winwithoutpitching.com/ https://twitter.com/blairenns ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, October 26, 2021

Coaching Call with Architect Carl Maxey

Architect Carl Maxey joined me on Ditching Hourly to brainstorm how to use value pricing in his business. Talking Points: The benefits of niching down Phasing projects to decrease your risk How to control scope creep on a big project What to do when a stakeholder appears late in the game When (and why) to say NO to clients How to know which prospective clients are the best fit The three factors that contribute to very high prices The role of productized services when value pricing The difference between project oversight and project management Carl's email address: carlmaxeyarchitect@pm.me ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, October 12, 2021

Justin Jackson - Catching Bigger Waves

Transistor.fm co-founder Justin Jackson joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about leveling up your "business game" by learning to spot bigger waves. Justin's links: https://transistor.fm/ https://megamaker.co/ https://devmarketing.xyz/ https://justinjackson.ca/ https://twitter.com/mijustin ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, October 05, 2021

Coaching Call with Design Thinking Consultant Hannah Berson

Design Thinking Consultant Hannah Berson joined me on Ditching Hourly to figure out a way to align the financial incentives on a novel three-party deal. Hannah's links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-berson-8b56672/ https://www.saltcollaboratory.com/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, September 28, 2021

Coaching Call with David Thorp

David Thorp joins me on Ditching Hourly for a positioning discussion to figure out if he's a Filemaker developer or a Swift developer or a business analyst or something else. David's website: https://www.alphacustomapps.com/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, September 21, 2021

Coaching Call with Software Architect George Stocker

Software architect George Stocker joins me to get clarity on his ideal buyer.  George's site: https://georgestocker.com/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, September 14, 2021

Coaching Call with THE Mason Bayne

Musician Mason Bayne joined me for a coaching call to brainstorm where to find the most value in the music business. Mason's website: https://www.masonscottbayne.com Value Pricing Bootcamp: http://valuepricingbootcamp.com ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, September 07, 2021

Coaching Call with Health Coach Jihane Farrell

Health coach Jihane Farrell joined me to talk about how to price "quality of life" and other intangible and highly subjective client outcomes. Jihane's email address: catbirdwellness@gmail.com ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, August 31, 2021

Coaching Call with Pilates Instructor Karrie Grinter

Karrie Grinter joins me for a coaching call to figure out how to double her pilates business before she retires. Karrie's website: https://www.northantspilates.com/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, August 24, 2021

Carl Richards - Making Stuff On Purpose

Carl Richards of Behavior Gap joins me to talk about why it makes sense for him to sell his new book for $10,000. Talking Points The paradox of working in public every day The terror of going from 0 to 1 Using permission-less projects to get going The importance of noticing “tailwind” Turning flaws into features Using impostor syndrome as a compass Reacting to negative feedback about pricing How to decide whether to start a podcast Carl’s Bio Carl Richards is a Certified Financial Planner™ and creator of the Sketch Guy column, appearing weekly in The New York Times since 2010. Carl has also been featured on Marketplace Money, Oprah.com, and Forbes.com. In addition, Carl has become a frequent keynote speaker at financial planning conferences and visual learning events around the world. Through his simple sketches, Carl makes complex financial concepts easy to understand. His sketches also serve as the foundation for his two books, The One-Page Financial Plan: A Simple Way to Be Smart About Your Money and The Behavior Gap: Simple Ways to Stop Doing Dumb Things with Money (Portfolio/Penguin). His sketches have appeared in a solo show at the Kimball Art Center in Park City, Utah as well as other showings at Parsons School of Design in New York City, The Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, California, and an exhibit at the Mansion House in London.  His commissioned work is on display in businesses and educational institutions across the globe. Find Carl online here: https://behaviorgap.com https://behaviorgap.com/radio/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/thinkingcarl https://twitter.com/behaviorgap ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call

Tue, August 17, 2021

The Subjectivity Of Luxury

Tue, August 10, 2021

Success story from Michael Coutts nephew

The Camp Wood Saga - A crash course in microeconomics, positioning, and profitability inspired by folks who sell firewood at the end of their driveway. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, August 03, 2021

Nine Seconds

Category Error on Wikipedia ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, July 27, 2021

Dre Beltrami - No BS Branding

This week I'm joined by brand strategist and founder of The Solopreneur Society, Dre Beltrami. Dre talks - in no uncertain terms - about BS marketing tactics, the importance of giving a sh*t, and why the word 'authentic' makes her want to puke. If you're sick of people being fake online, check out this episode for a breath of fresh air. Dre might not be your cup of tea, but that's exactly the point. Links: https://thesolopreneursociety.com/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, July 20, 2021

Carol Williams - Productivity Cake

Productivity coach Carol Williams joins me to talk about how getting more stuff done is like baking a cake. Carol's website: https://eps-time.com/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, July 13, 2021

Hourly Billing vs Specialization

Tue, July 06, 2021

Shooting In The Dark

My other podcast: The Business of Authority ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, June 29, 2021

Value pricing when there is no monetary ROI

Value Pricing Calculator ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, June 22, 2021

How to attract better clients

Tue, June 15, 2021

There are lots of ways to price

Tue, June 08, 2021

Take A Stand

Tue, June 01, 2021

Perfectionism vs Idealism

Tue, May 25, 2021

How do you find the time for marketing?

Tue, May 18, 2021

With hourly billing...

Tue, May 11, 2021

Positioning teardown request from Alexander Fridman

Tue, May 04, 2021

Are non-profits a good niche?

Tue, April 27, 2021

Coaching Call with Psychotherapist Bob Beverley

The funny and talented Bob Beverley joins me to brainstorm ways to create more leverage in his psychotherapy practice. Bob's website: The Sharp Club ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, April 20, 2021

Thomas Smale - What To Do Before Building A SaaS

FE International founder and CEO Thomas Smale joins me to talk about what to do before building (or buying) a SaaS. FE International website ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, March 09, 2021

Kyle Miller - From Zero To Life-Changing SaaS Exit

Full stack engineer Kyle Miller explains how he bootstrapped a SaaS and sold it for a life-changing amount of money a few years later. Kyle's Links Website LinkedIn ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, March 02, 2021

Ant Pugh - What's the difference between niching and specialization?

Learning consultant Ant Pugh joins me to talk about the difference between niching and specialization.   Ant's Links: https://www.antpugh.com/ https://www.wearepropella.com/ The Pricing Seminar The next session of The Pricing Seminar starts on March 8th, 2021. If you're ready to stop billing and start pricing, head on over to The Pricing Seminar to enroll now: https://thepricingseminar.com/ (And look for the little blue bird to find a nice discount) ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, February 23, 2021

Coaching Call with educator Kristina Jareno

Coaching Call with educator Kristina Jareno Kristina's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinario_/ Automated Transcript: Jonathan (00:00:00): Hello, and welcome to ditching hourly. I'm Jonathan Stark. And today I'm joined by guest Kristina Jareno. Did I say that right? Kristina (00:00:09): Almost... Jareno. Jonathan (00:00:10): My apologies. Um, so Kristina, could you tell folks a little bit about who you are and what you do? Kristina (00:00:17): Sure. Um, hi everyone. I am a mom. I, my daughter is four I'm born and raised in long beach, California. I am starting a homeschool co-op and I am also an intern trainers and entertainer. So I make films and music and I've reached out to John to help me, um, regarding both of these industries and how to play hourly billing to both. Jonathan (00:00:45): Yes. Okay, great. Um, so let's, so you sent an email, thanks for that. And you talked, um, let's focus on the schooling piece first because I think that's, um, that's, uh, I could be wrong, but I feel like that one has more moving parts. So why don't you give folks a little bit of a backstory on how you came to put that together? What, what need you feel like it's addressing or you want it to address? Kristina (00:01:11): Sure. Um, so my daughters for a couple of years ago around when she was two, um, I started having the itch to really quote unquote, get back to my career, um, or just have help with childcare so that I could have some me time as a mom. Um, so I started researching different daycares and preschools in schools, and that journey led me to tour like, you know, over 25 to 30 schools in Los Angeles. And this was like Montessori, organic daycares, Waldorf Reggio, progressive private schools, like elementary on. And I didn't know what I was looking for at the time I was looking for emotional safety. I was looking for, um, I was also looking for parent education and that journey led me to starting my own co-op um, you know, uh, we'll be working with, uh, uh, Ryan associates and PT instructor to kind of help all the parents. Um, and that's kind of how I, I ended up coming to starting it over at the end of this two year journey is really out of necessity just because I couldn't find what I was looking for. Jonathan (00:02:26): Hmm. Okay. So can you drill into those? You use two terms though. I'm not familiar with Bri associate and PDT. Kristina (00:02:35): Um, so arise associate rise stands for resources for infant educators. And I found out about raw resources for infant educators. Um, actually from one of the co-ops that I, um, was touring. And when I found them, my daughter was too young to enroll at the time and I didn't want to wait a whole year to start getting, um, you know, educated as a parent. The reason why I liked them was because did like monthly work

Tue, February 16, 2021

Digby Leigh - Frank Fees for Law Firms

Lawyer Digby Leigh joins me to share his experience converting his 30 person law firm from hourly billing to up front pricing. Digby's Links: Leigh & Co Digby's LinkedIn AltFeeCo.com ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, February 09, 2021

Blair Enns - What Is Strategy?

The lovely and talented Blair Enns joins me to explore the question: WHAT IS STRATEGY? BLAIR'S LINKS Win Without Pitching Blair's Twitter INTERACTIVE TRANSCRIPT https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/m4jr6P_aQ9TmpdBKT3aCBIwyEF8RQOW6iVR4dv8w_tR26FKubH_uHjRLazDIaBMaGii5Y7IGnLKWWyV6XLOhdZXkG_E?loadFrom=SharedLink TEXT TRANSCRIPT Jonathan (00:00): Hello and welcome to ditching hourly. I'm Jonathan Stark. And today I am joined by a very special guest Blair ends. Blair, welcome back to the show. Thank you, Jonathan. Great to be here. So I feel like you need no introduction, but can I put you on the spot and for anybody who hasn't heard your name before you maybe give them a, a quick name, rank and serial number. Yeah, Blair (00:22): Name rank. So I'm the founder and CEO of win without pitching the sales training organization for creative professionals. I've written two books the win without pitching manifesto in 2010 and pricing creativity, a guide to profit beyond the billable hour in 2018, three years ago. Jonathan (00:47): Great stuff. Love it. Okay. So the, the sort of impetus for this conversation was a tweet that you tweeted, obviously something you posted on Twitter about strategy. So what's the, what's the sort of backstory here. Blair (01:01): Yeah. And I forget exactly what the exchange was, but you and I were trading some pretty good definitions of strategy. One of my hobbies is I collect answers to the question, what is strategy? Because strategy is one of those words, like time and money are in the same category. They're they're words. We think we know the meaning of them until we're asked to define them. And then it turns out very few people have satisfactory answers to the question of what is strategy. And then when you get into that, then it's, it begs all kinds of other questions around this topic of strategy. So it's a rich vein for a podcast episode that's for sure. Jonathan (01:43): Absolutely. Well, so what are some of the answers that you've collected? I mean, do, do you feel like there are, do you feel like they sort of coalesce around a correct answer or is it just like people have different definitions and if it works for them great. What do you, what do you, what are your findings? Blair (02:03): I I've, I've asked hundreds of people this question, and I've asked it from a stage, you know, many times as well. So, you know, easily, I've heard hundreds of answers where, or in excess of 100 answers. And the most common answer is just an insufficient answer is an answer that, that says this per

Tue, February 02, 2021

Philip Morgan - Specialization Is Never Boring

Specialization guru Philip Morgan joins me to talk about when to niche down and what to do about the fear of doing so. LINKS philipmorganconsulting.com positioningcrashcourse.com TRANSCRIPT Jonathan (00:00): Hello, and welcome to ditching hourly. I'm Jonathan Stark. Today. I am joined by special guest, very special guest and old friend, Phillip Morgan, Phillip, welcome to the show. Philip (00:09): Great to be here, Jonathan. Thanks Jonathan (00:11): For having me. So for folks who maybe haven't heard your name before, could you give us a quick 32nd name, rank and serial number? Philip (00:19): All right. Start the timer. My name's Philip Morgan. I help independent consultants thrive. I've arrived at this weird made up job for myself, starting with an interest in how specialization is the beachhead that provides this really outsized advantage. And I've ended up becoming generally interested in how sort of indie experts, you know, folks like yourself, Jonathan me, to an extent like how do we cultivate expertise and turn that into economic output. Hmm. Jonathan (00:51): Awesome. Love it. Yeah, totally aligned. Of course. So the, the sort of impetus for this particular interview was an email you sent out to your list with a subject line perpetually fascinating specialization. And you know, I guess someone sent this question into you. Philip (01:10): Yeah. When folks opt into my email list, I just redirect them immediately to a survey that says, Hey, you know, what's on your mind. What sort of questions do you have? It's totally optional whether they fill it out, but this question came in through that channel. Jonathan (01:23): Gotcha. Cool. And the question was, how do I discover the area of specialization that is both perpetually fascinating to me and valuable to the market? An age old question. Yeah. That's what we all want. Yeah. We, I get this all the time where people, you know, I, I talk about it in the context of positioning and, and, you know, becoming the go-to person for a particular something, you know, and, and it's, you're kind of like with, with me as a solo person or people that work with me who are solo, you're kind of dead in the water. If you don't have some kind of differentiator, because if you're just presenting yourself to the market as a, just another one of these things, you know, coder, developer designer, then you're not meaningfully different from anyone. Then you're going to have really powerful, downward pressure on your prices. Jonathan (02:16): No leverage in the negotiation. It's, this is a terrible place to be. It's much better to be the one and only of something instead of just one of many. And it just has a dramatic effect on the prices that you can charge. And also the imp

Tue, January 26, 2021

Joel Pilger - Fostering a Community of Clients

RevThink honcho Joel Pilger joins me to talk about how and why to consider fostering a community of clients. Joel's Bio Joel Pilger helps great creatives run great creative companies. As a RevThinker, Joel has advised hundreds of creative firms based in 23 countries around the world. He is the host of the RevThinking Podcast as well as the host of regular QOHORT retreats and dinners for creative entrepreneurs in New York, Los Angeles, and London. Related Links Joel's website Joel's previous appearance on Ditching Hourly RevThinking Podcast QOHORT ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, January 22, 2021

Emily Omier - Finding Clients On LinkedIn

Positioning consultant Emily Omier shares her secrets for finding clients on LinkedIn without being an annoying spammer. Emily's Links Emily's articles: The New Stack Emily's podcast: The Business of Cloud Native Emily's blog: Positioning Open Source Emily's LinkedIn Profile ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, January 12, 2021

John Warrillow - The Art of Selling Your Business

Best selling author John Warrillow joins me to talk about what to do when you want to sell a SaaS. Talking Points Why buyers might pay a much higher multiple than normal for a SaaS The pros and cons of annual vs monthly subscription models How to know when to sell your SaaS What to do before you sell your SaaS Business brokers vs M&A professionals What to say when a potential buyer asks, “If your SaaS is so great, why are you selling it?” How to avoid “golden handcuffs” if hanging around is not for you John’s Bio John Warrillow is the founder of The Value Builder System™, a simple software for building the value of a company used by thousands of businesses worldwide. Offered by a global network of independent advisors known as Certified Value Builders, The Value Builder System™ incorporates several diagnostic tools, including the Value Builder Score. Those businesses that achieve a Value Builder Score of 90 or greater are worth double the average-performing business. His best-selling book Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You was recognized by both Fortune and Inc. as one of the best business books of 2011 and has been translated into 12 languages. John is the host of Built to Sell Radio, ranked by Forbes as one of the world's 10 best podcasts for business owners. In 2015, John wrote another best-selling book, The Automatic Customer: Creating a Subscription Business in Any Industry. Prior to founding The Value Builder System, he started and exited four companies, including one acquired by a public company. He lives with his family in Toronto. You can follow John's work by signing up at BuiltToSell.com. Related Links: The Art of Selling Your Business by John Warrillow Built to Sell by John Warrillow John's website John's books John's first appearance on Ditching Hourly ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get r

Tue, January 05, 2021

Tripp Lanier - Getting Dangerous

Author, podcaster, and coach Tripp Lanier joins me to talk about how to feel more strong, free, and alive. Tripp's Bio Tripp Lanier is a professional coach, author of This Book Will Make You Dangerous , and host of The New Man Podcast: Beyond the Macho Jerk and the New Age Wimp which — for over a decade — has been downloaded millions of times. Tripp's LInks The New Man Podcast This Book Will Make You Dangerous Tripp's coaching website Transcript Jonathan Stark (00:00): Hello, and welcome to ditching hourly. I'm Jonathan Stark. Today I'm joined by special guest Tripp Lanier. Tripp! Welcome to the show. Tripp Lanier (00:07): Thanks, Jonathan. Appreciate the opportunity to talk. Jonathan Stark (00:10): I'm really excited about this. I absolutely loved your book and I want to talk all about that, but first, can you give the listeners a little bit of background on you, who you are, what you do, they might not have heard your name before or just in case they haven't? Tripp Lanier (00:22): Yeah well, most known these days as the host of the new man podcast, which has been publishing for over 13 years, we've had millions of downloads. We kind of started in the wild West days and but my main profession is I'm a coach and I work with primarily men, but forward-thinking men that are like, all right, I've done pretty well for myself, but is this really it, is it really just going to be about chasing money or measuring up or trying to prove something that I didn't get worked out in high school? And so these are guys that are wanting more meaning more alignment, not just in their work, but also in their personal lives and their relationships as well. So I do the work with those guys to really kind of break out of this mold and find the unique thing that that really is. They're like, okay, what am I really here to do or give or provide in my lifetime? And you know, confront the fears that get in the way there and then really start to implement that and then world, and in a way where you don't have to live in your car, my clients tend to do very well for themselves. Jonathan Stark (01:22): Yeah, there's so, so I didn't realize that the podcast had been going that long. I listened to a few episodes, but wow. That's amazing. Yeah. When did the book come out? Tripp Lanier (01:31): The book came out this past year. We're still in the promotion cycle for that. So it's, it's you know, with COVID and all of that kind of stuff, it's like, it's still fresh and brand new and a lot of people's minds. Jonathan Stark (01:41): Yeah, it's really good. I'm

Tue, December 29, 2020

Erik Dietrich - 3 Steps To Improving Your Search Rankings

Erik Dietrich shares the secret sauce he uses at Hit Subscribe to improve search engine rankings for their clients.  Hit Subscribe DaedTech ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, December 22, 2020

Jim McDannald - Laser Focused Positioning FTW

Jim McDannald joins me to talk about the life changing magic of niching down. Jim's Website Jim's Twitter ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, December 21, 2020

What is a product ladder?

Sun, December 20, 2020

Knowers vs Doers

Sat, December 19, 2020

Art vs Design

Fri, December 18, 2020

Specialization in life and business

Thu, December 17, 2020

Plenty of Fish

Wed, December 16, 2020

Expensive Problems are 3D

Tue, December 15, 2020

What exactly is commoditization?

Tue, December 01, 2020

How to avoid scope creep on a value priced project

Sat, November 21, 2020

How to value price when there are lots of unknowns

Thu, November 19, 2020

Starting From Zero

Tue, November 17, 2020

Beware The Should

Tue, November 10, 2020

Coaching Call with Destin Hood - From Professional Baseball to Digital Marketing

Former professional baseball player Destin Hood joins me for a coaching call to brainstorm positioning for his new digital marketing business. Related Links The boutique hotel chain I couldn't remember the name of... Destin's wikipedia page Destin's website Destin's email ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, November 03, 2020

Dan Cuprill - Systems Create Profit

Financial planner and business coach, Dan Cuprill joined me On Ditching Hourly to talk about how service providers can increase profits by creating systems and experimenting with new pricing models. "Systems create profit. Profit gives us the freedom we want." - Dan Cuprill, Founder, Advisor Architect About Dan Cuprill Dan Cuprill is a Certified Financial Planner, blogger, and the host of two podcasts: Solving the Financial Puzzle & The Profitable Advisor. A graduate of the University of Iowa, he earned his MBA from Northwestern University.  Related Links Dan's Agency Dan's Podcast Advisor Architect ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, October 27, 2020

Alex Hillman - Tiny MBA

Alex Hillman of Indy Hall and Stacking The Bricks joins me to talk about his new book The Tiny MBA . ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, October 20, 2020

Wes Bos - Building a Training Business

Software course legend Wes Bos joins me to talk about how he created his training business. Talking Points What to do before you make a course. What makes a good course creator. Pros and cons of publishing courses on your own site vs a platform like Egghead. How to create interest prior to launching a course.  What to think about when thinking about updating a course. Course pricing techniques (free, paid tiers, team licenses, parity pricing, sponsorships) Links We Mentioned Wes’ website Wes’ Syntax.fm podcast Wes’ Twitter Wes’ YouTube Channel Wes’ GitHub Wes’ Free Javascript Course The E-Myth Revisited ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, October 13, 2020

Edward Nevraumont - Programmatic Advertising for Boutique Service Businesses

Speaker, executive consultant, and author of "Marketing BS" Edward Nevraumont joins me to talk about how programmatic advertising (e.g., Facebook ads) can be used to grow a boutique service business. Edward's Bio: As Chief Marketing Officer at General Assembly, Edward helped build and prepare the company for a $412.5mm sale to Adecco in 2018. During his five years at A Place for Mom, Edward steered the company from the brink of collapse to generating more than 30% year-over-year growth over multiple years. A Place for Mom is now the largest senior-living referral service on the planet. While Vice President at Expedia, Edward created the VIP Hotel program which is now at 4000+ hotels and generating a 22% lift in stays for Expedia’s elite customers. He also created Expedia Rewards (a points-based loyalty program), and Expedia’s first landing pages testing team (which now runs 2000+ tests/year). Prior to his executive positions, Edward worked as a consultant for McKinsey & Company and in account management for Procter & Gamble. A Wharton MBA graduate, Edward honed his global perspectives by working and living on four continents, including a year in Africa. Related Links: Edward's book Edward's site Edward's mailing list ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, October 06, 2020

Jimmy Rose - Validating Your SaaS Idea

Jimmy Rose joins me to talk about how to validate the idea for a SaaS product and position it with the target market as a solution to a painful problem. Here is Jimmy's Twitter bio: I help people automate stuff with Zapier. Co-founder of @contentsnare which helps collect content & documents from clients. Skilled at talking to dogs. Related Links: https://contentsnare.com/ https://jimmyrose.me/ https://twitter.com/_jimmyrose ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, September 29, 2020

The New Boss

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, September 22, 2020

How To Prove You're Good At What You Do

Tue, September 15, 2020

You Have To Change Something

You can't make things better without changing something, and changing something requires a leap of faith.  ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, September 08, 2020

Selling A Feeling

Tue, September 01, 2020

Geraldine Carter - The Forensic Bounty Hunter

Business coach Geraldine Carter joined me to brainstorm how her CPA clients could price three different phases of a forensic accounting engagement. Even if you're not a CPA, I think you'll find the approaches we came up with applicable to your service business. Here's a link to an interactive transcript: READ TRANSCRIPT (It was machine generated, so it's not perfect) ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, August 25, 2020

Projects vs Retainers

Tue, August 18, 2020

A More Useful Definition Of Strategy

Tue, August 11, 2020

Can I Value Price X?

Tue, August 04, 2020

Good News And Bad News

Tue, July 28, 2020

Coaching Call with Animated Film Director Wayne Thornley

Connect with Wayne on LinkedIn ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, July 21, 2020

Becoming A Rockstar

Tue, July 14, 2020

Provenance

In the world of vintage watches, provenance is a critical component of the value of a given watch. What is provenance? Here's a good description from Timepiece Chronicle : When discussing vintage watches, especially those claimed to have been owned by notable figures, the notion of provenance should always be kept at the forefront of your mind. Far more important than condition or value, provenance is the term used to describe the legitimacy of recorded ownership for a particular item. Whilst for many vintage watch purchases it is condition and value that are of primary concern when considering watches that are claimed to have belonged to an important figure, provenance is the most important factor. So... provenance is kinda like the backstory of a watch. For example: A 1930s era 14k gold Longines tonneau-shaped wrist watch sells for about $1000. A 1930s era 14k gold Longines tonneau-shaped wrist watch owned by Albert Einstein sold for $596,000 . Almost 600 times more money for the same watch! But is it really same watch? Sure, the materials and construction and design are all the same. But one is a direct physical connection to one of the greatest scientific minds who ever lived, and the other... well, it tells the time (and probably pretty badly, at that). Here's the thing... The value of a product or service often comes from intangible things like provenance or status or brand or morale or peace of mind. This is not irrational buying behavior. You prove it every time you buy a Coke or shop at Target or splurge on a pair of Nikes and tell yourself that "this one is worth more because of $reasons". Value is not an inherent property of a thing. It's a perception in the mind of the buyer. The question is, what does your ideal buyer value? Yours, —J Enjoy this episode? Here are more things you might like: Hourly Billing Is Nuts —Essays On The Insanity Of Trading Time For Money Learn more » The Freelancer’s Roadmap —Learn The Tools, Tactics, And Systems You Need To Transform Yourself From Commodity Freelancer To In-Demand Consultant Learn more » Learn Your Lines —What To Say When Clients Put You On The Spot Learn more » Pigeonhole Yourself —Transform Your Marketing From Soggy To Solid With These Real-World Examples Learn more » ---- Do you have questions abo

Tue, July 07, 2020

What if no one listens?

Long time reader and friend-of-the-list Scott Gould sent in this great question about starting a podcast (shared with permission): Hi Jonathan, I’m curious - my thought on producing a podcast would be “would anybody even listen to it?” What’s your take on that? Because surely that’s the most important thing to consider? Yours engagingly, Scott Sure, it would be nice if lots of people listened to your podcast, but if you start out with a one-on-one interview show format (which is my recommended starting format for new podcasters), it doesn’t really matter of anyone listens. Wait, what? You shouldn’t care if anyone listens to your podcast? Yep, that’s right. Having listeners is just one of the benefits of hosting a podcast, and IMHO it’s not the most important one. Here are three other benefits that I think are more important: 1) Building relationships Hosting a podcast means you always have something to invite people to (especially, luminaries in your field). If I reached out to Seth Godin and asked, “Hey, you wanna to jump on the phone for an hour so I can pick your brain?” he would surely say no. But if I asked instead, “Hey, would you like to come on our podcast and talk about that thing you care about?” he might agree . When I dreamed up the idea for TBOA, it was specifically for the purpose of having something to invite my favorite thought leaders to. It’s nice that the audience is growing, but all I care about is getting to talk to really smart people for an hour. 2) Researching your market This is similar to the previous benefit, but instead of inviting rockstars to come on your show, you invite people from your target market and essentially have a free consulting call with them. This is a great way to get to know the hopes, dreams, worries, and fears of your ideal buyers without the pressure of trying to close a deal. As a side effect, improving your podcast interview skills will improve your sales interview skills . BONUS: If you are currently doing execution work (e.g., coding, copywriting, illustration, video production, audio editing, voice overs, etc) and want to transition into consulting, coaching, or other types of pure advisory engagements, inviting ideal buyers onto your show is low-risk way to road test your capabilities, and to combat impostor syndrome. 3) Rapid

Tue, June 30, 2020

Punishing Excellence

If you bill by the hour, there's no financial incentive to get better at what you do. Usually when I say this to people who bill hourly, their knee-jerk reaction is to reject the idea out of hand. They'll point out that they love getting better at what they do and that they often invest time and money in their professional development. And I'll say, "Sure, but whatever your incentive is to do that, it's not financial. The faster you get, the less money you make." Eventually, it will begin to dawn on them that there is a paradox at the center of their professional life. On the one hand, they love getting better at their craft. Who doesn't? On the other, there is no financial reward for getting better. In fact, there is often a financial penalty . Faced with this conundrum, they will sometimes deploy impressive mental gymnastics to avoid having to change anything. The most breathtaking effort I've heard so far goes like this: "If I get so good at my craft that I'm faster than all of my competitors, then my estimates will be the lowest and I'll always win the work. Therefore, I do have an incentive to get better even though I bill by the hour." The first time I heard this one, it made my head spin. It was so misguided that I didn't know where to start debunking it. It was like the guy said to me, "Sure, it's a race to zero, but hey... a race is a race and I want to win!" Unfortunately, this wasn't the last time I've heard this argument so maybe it's worth me walking through it. Here goes... For the sake of discussion, let's say Bob charges $100 per hour and gets twice as many new project leads as he can handle. His success rate with landing new projects is 50%. He's confident that if he could cut his estimates in half, he'd land 100% of these new projects. So, Bob invests time and money into tools, training, and systems that make him twice as fast at what he does. Now, his estimates for new projects are half what they would've been, and he does in fact start landing 100% of his incoming leads. Okay, so... what has Bob accomplished? He's now working on twice as many projects as before, but making only half the money on each as he would have. Therefore, his overall revenue has not changed, but his administrative duties and switching costs have increased. And he's out the time and money he invested in getting more efficient in the first place. Here's the thing... Even in this oversimplified example, there's clearly no financial incentive for Bob to invest in getting better at what he does. In a more real-world scenario, it makes even less sense for hourly billers to get better at what they do. In my experience, the problem that most self-employed professionals are wrestling with is not that their close rate is too low, it's that they don't get enough leads in the first place. Getting better at what you do so you

Tue, June 23, 2020

It's Not That Simple

It's not uncommon for a student to come to me for advice about some sort of relationship-related dilemma they're facing. Stuff like:  "I agreed to hire my good-for-nothing brother-in-law and now he's destroying my business!" "After working together for years, my biggest client is considering a cheaper firm and wants us to cut our price in half!" "My business partner wants to pivot into a business direction that I feel is unethical and I can't talk him out of it!"  Statements like these are usually followed by thousands of words of backstory full of slights and subtleties and worries and so forth. When they finally run out of steam, they conclude their monologue with the question: "So what do you think I should I do?"  To which I would reply (in order of above list): "Fire him."  "Politely refuse."  "Split up." Usually, this is greeted with a few seconds of stunned silence, followed by: "But it's not that simple!" Yes. Yes, it is that simple. It's just not EASY. There's a big difference. When a problem is complex, a reasonable approach is to do research. When a problem is simple, research is procrastination. If your good-for-nothing brother-in-law is destroying your business, you need to fire him. It's not a complex problem, it's simple. The additional backstory (e.g., how mad your sister might be or what the BIL might do in retaliation or that your parents might disown you) doesn't change the fact that you have to fire him if you want to save the busines s. If your sister gets really mad at you or whatever, that's a separate problem to be dealt with separately. You might think I'm splitting hairs about the difference between "simple" and "easy". It's true that these two words are very similar and can be used synonymously sometimes, but in cases where you've got a hard decision to make, one's mind seems to want to put it off by tricking itself into thinking it's complex. Deep down, you know what needs to be done, you just don't want to do it. So you pretend it's complex and respond to the phantom complexity by "researching it" (e.g., asking for outside opinions, waiting yet another day to see if things change, back-channeling with parties who are familiar with the matter but not in a position to influence anything, etc). It's just stalling, which makes the problem worse. Once you recognize that what needs to be done is simple (albeit hard), your next steps will become clear. Yours, —J P.S. Are you wrestling with a business problem that you'd like to get clarity on? I'm available for a limited number of 1-on-1 coaching calls each month. You can book yours here: jonathanstark.com/call ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pric

Tue, June 16, 2020

Michael Zipursky - Consulting Success

Guest Bio Michael Zipursky – Michael has consulted for organizations and advised leaders throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and the Middle East in over 30 industries, from service providers to billion dollar multi-national corporations including Panasonic, Dow Jones, Financial Times, Royal Bank and many others.  Michael is an in-demand speaker and gives keynotes and workshops for the Certified Management Consultants Association, Canadian Internet Marketing Conference, Social Media Camp, and others.  Michael’s work has appeared in MarketingProfs, Huffington Post, Financial Times, FOX Business, Maclean's, HR Executive, Business Edge, Marketing Magazine, and in several other media and publications.  He is the author of 5 books , including:  Elite Consulting Mind Consulting Success® ACT NOW Follow Michael on Twitter @MichaelZipursky LinkedIn: Michael Zipursky Related Links The Introduction Game by Jonathan Stark (PDF) Should You Write A Book? (AUDIO) How To Build Your First Productized Service (EMAIL COURSE) Built To Sell by John Warrillow (BOOK) Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You with guest John Warrillow (AUDIO) ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/c

Tue, May 26, 2020

Scope Last

How and why to flip the script in sales interviews.

Tue, May 19, 2020

(Re)positioning Yourself: A Crash Course

The lovely and talented Alex Hillman of PhillyFreelance.com invited me to speak to their membership last week about repositioning your freelance business in response to COVID-19.  Here's the event description: With all the belt-tightening going on, it’s never been more important to quickly and clearly communicate your value proposition to potential clients.  Whether you need to pivot from an old positioning statement to a new one, or to firm up your soggy positioning statement in response to a crisis, this interactive session will help you clarify your value proposition so that anyone you meet can easily understand:  What you do  Who you help  What you help them with  Why you're the best person for the job  Who is this talk for?  This webinar is for freelancers, consultants, coaches, contractors, and anyone else who sells their services for living.  ---- The reaction from the audience was quite positive, especially regarding the Q&A segment at the end. Alex graciously allowed me to republish the audio of the talk as an episode of Ditching Hourly so other freelancers could potentially benefit from it.  Alex has a long history of creating cool, useful, and innovative products and services, so if you're a freelancer or consultant you should really check out his stuff:  IndyHall.org StackingTheBricks.com PhillyFreelance.com If you'd like to have me speak to your community or appear on your podcast, just shoot me an email at jstark@jonathanstark.com and let me know what you have in mind.  P.S. Here’s a link to the diagram that Alex mentioned in the intro:  Make More For Less ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: <a href="https://jonat

Tue, May 12, 2020

The Only Business Strategy You'll Ever Need

Tue, May 05, 2020

Humane Selling (TBOA#65)

Cross post from The Business of Authority

Tue, April 21, 2020

Should You Build A Course? (TBOA#67)

Cross post from The Business of Authority

Tue, April 14, 2020

Tack on a zero and try again

This episode is an audio version of a message I sent to my daily list. Here's the text: https://jonathanstark.com/daily/20200410-1624-tack-on-a-zero-and-try-again ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, April 07, 2020

Relationships Rule The World (TBOA#69)

Cross post from The Business of Authority

Tue, March 31, 2020

How To Tell People What You Do

https://www.crowdcast.io/e/positioning-crash-course ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, March 24, 2020

How To Switch Your Niche (TBOA#73)

Cross post from The Business of Authority

Tue, March 17, 2020

Coaching Call with Messaging Consultant Graeme McLaughlin

Tue, March 10, 2020

Will Bachman on The Benefits of Community for Independent Consultants

Will Bachman, McKinsey alum and co-founder of Umbrex, joins me to talk about the benefits of finding a community of peers as an independent consultant. Talking Points: How to compete with big firms The importance of niching down The importance of specializing The secret benefits of podcasting Links:  Will's community: Umbrex Will's podcast: Unleashed Will's LinkedIn Profile ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, March 03, 2020

Coaching Call with Landscape Architect Daniel Robey

Daniel Robey joins me for coaching on how to move his landscape architecture business away from hourly billing.  ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, February 25, 2020

Coaching Call with Web Developer Tim Abell

Interactive transcript available here: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/p3J94iQGQj3paj9kQr4_G-yELyffI7q24nkRGAnOdcDPppzUXzz1KHzbTsDUdI4dDYWxByaWXlY-tv_HoPb88Vvi5U8?loadFrom=SharedLink ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, February 18, 2020

Erik Dietrich on The Hourly Monkey Wrench

Erik Dietrich shares how he went from solo software consultant to productized service business owner (and how it throws a monkey wrench in the works when a contractor wants to be paid hourly). Erik's sites: https://daedtech.com/ https://www.hitsubscribe.com/ ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, February 11, 2020

Framing Your Value Pricing Conversations

Tue, February 04, 2020

Cold Outreach for Freelancers: Finding Potential New Clients With Cold Emails

Tue, January 28, 2020

How to Delegate Effectively in Your Freelancing Business

Tue, January 14, 2020

The 3 Most Important Questions to Ask New Freelance Clients

Tue, January 07, 2020

Determining the Value of a Paid Discovery Session (for Consultants)

Tue, December 31, 2019

How to Introduce Yourself at a Networking Event

Tue, December 24, 2019

Defining Your Target Customer: Can You Test Multiple Audiences At Once?

Tue, December 17, 2019

Ron Baker on The Subscription Economy

Value pricing legend Ron Baker joins me to talk about the next pricing model for service professionals. Ron’s Bio Ronald J. Baker started his CPA career in 1984 with KPMG’s Private Business Advisory Services in San Francisco. Today, he is the founder of VeraSage Institute—the leading think tank dedicated to educating professionals internationally—a radio talk-show host on The Soul of Enterprise: Business in the Knowledge Economy, and the Chief Value Officer at Armanino LLP. Ron has authored seven best-selling books, including: The Firm of the Future; Pricing on Purpose; Measure What Matters to Customers; and Implementing Value Pricing. Ron has toured the world, spreading his value-pricing message to over 210,000 professionals. He has been named on Accounting Today’s 2001-2007, and 2011-2018 Top 100 Most Influential People in the profession; and inducted into the CPA Practice Advisor Hall of Fame in 2018. He is a faculty member of the Professional Pricing Society. He presently resides in Petaluma, California. To contact Ron Baker: E-mail: ron@verasage.com Website/Blog: www.verasage.com and www.thesoulofenterprise.com Twitter @ronaldbaker Related Links Subscribed: Why the Subscription Model Will Be Your Company’s Future - and What to Do About It The Automatic Customer: Creating a Subscription Business in Any Industry The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future Hassle Free Home Services Tomorrow 3.0: Transaction Costs and the Sharing Economy ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and

Tue, December 10, 2019

How to Overcome Price Objections in Your Sales Interview [The Why Conversation]

Tue, December 03, 2019

Freelancing Expenses: Who Pays For Your Travel?

Tue, November 26, 2019

Getting Good Testimonials from Your Past Clients

Mon, November 25, 2019

When Friends and Family Ask You to Work for Free

Fri, November 22, 2019

Reuven Lerner on Building a Software Training Business

Reuven Lerner on building a software training business. Reuven's Bio: Reuven is a full-time Python trainer. In a given year, he teaches courses at companies in the United States, Europe, Israel, and China — as well as to people around the world, via his online courses. Reuven created one of the first 100 Web sites in the world just after graduating from MIT’s computer science department. He opened Lerner Consulting in 1995, and has been offering training services since 1996. Reuven’s most recent book is “Python Workout,” a collection of Python exercises with extensive explanations, published by Manning. Reuven’s free, weekly “Better developers” newsletter, about Python and software engineering, is read by more than 10,000 developers around the globe. His “Trainer weekly” newsletter is similarly popular among people who give corporate training. Links: Reuven's website ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Thu, November 21, 2019

What to Send to Your Email Subscribers (Marketing Your Service Business)

Wed, November 20, 2019

Attracting New Clients With Your B2B Content Marketing Strategy

Tue, November 19, 2019

Are You Giving Away Too Much Free Content?

Mon, November 18, 2019

Positioning: Can You Work With Your Client's Competitors?

Sun, November 17, 2019

The Difference Between Horizontal & Vertical Marketing [Business Strategy for Service Providers]

Sat, November 16, 2019

Marketing for Service Providers: Is Value Pricing Effective for New Freelancers?

Fri, November 15, 2019

"Outcome Based Selling" vs. "What I'll Be Doing to Get the Outcome"

Thu, November 14, 2019

Two Pricing Curves to Measure Value: "Goldilocks" vs. "Might as Well"

Wed, November 13, 2019

Sales for Consultants: How to Convert Inbound Leads into Clients

Tue, November 12, 2019

The Easiest Way to Discuss Value Pricing Questions with Clients

Mon, November 11, 2019

Freelance Work: What to Price for Small Projects with a Limited Scope

Sun, November 10, 2019

Consultant Advice: Handling Team Conflicts and Disagreements

Sat, November 09, 2019

Coaching and Consulting: How to Get Long Term Clients

Fri, November 08, 2019

Positioning Your Consulting Business: Should You Take a Contrarian Stance?

Thu, November 07, 2019

Project Deliverables: What Are Consultants Really Selling?

Wed, November 06, 2019

Joe Pine on Pricing Experiences

Long-time listeners may recall an interview that Rochelle and I did a little while back with Joe Pine on The Business of Authority.  On TBOA, we talked a lot about how to elevate your business from selling services to selling experiences and ultimately to selling transformations (i.e., outcomes) but we didn’t get a chance to talk much about pricing these sorts of higher value offerings.  So, Joe graciously agreed to join me on Ditching Hourly to talk about just that:  DH139: Joe Pine on Pricing Experiences More about Joe… Co-author of The Experience Economy, Joseph Pine II is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and management advisor to Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurial start-ups alike. In 1999, Joe and his partner James H. Gilmore wrote the best-selling book The Experience Economy: Work Is Theatre & Every Business a Stage, which demonstrates how goods and services are no longer enough; what companies must offer today are experiences – memorable events that engage each customer in an inherently personal way. 2019 marks the 20th anniversary of The Experience Economy and it is has been revised and has just be released with a new subtitle: “Competing for Customer Time, Attention, and Money.” You can order it here: The Experience Economy, 20th Anniversary Edition In true “experience” fashion, Joe and Jim are running a book re-launch celebration on Nov 13, 2019. If you’d like to be included, you can register here to participate in person or online: https://strategichorizons.com/books-and-ideas/launchfest/ Definitely check out Joe’s work. He’s the real deal. Related Links Joe Pine The Experience Economy Strategic Horizons Joe on Twitter Transcript Transcript of Joe Pine on Ditching Hourly ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of

Tue, November 05, 2019

How to Handle Clients Asking for a Discount or Bargaining Your Rates

Mon, November 04, 2019

Generalist vs. Specialist: Do Freelancers Have to Choose?

Sun, November 03, 2019

3 Things You Need to Know About Picking Your Niche in Business [Tips for New Freelancers]

Sat, November 02, 2019

3 Reliable Marketing Tips to Build Your Side Hustle (While You Work Full-Time)

Fri, November 01, 2019

Creative Entrepreneurs: Two Practical Ways to Set Your Rates

Tue, September 24, 2019

Making A Living with Your Art with guest Margot Trudell

How can artists, designers, and other creative people make a living doing what they love? LINKS Margot's Website Margot's Instagram ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Sun, September 22, 2019

How do I get clients to pay 100% up-front?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, September 20, 2019

Do I really need to specialize?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Wed, September 18, 2019

What's the value of code quality?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, September 16, 2019

How should I transition from an old niche to a new one?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Sat, September 14, 2019

How can I charge 100% up-front if my clients are used paying on delivery?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Thu, September 12, 2019

How do I offer options if what I'm selling is the outcome?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, September 10, 2019

How do I validate a platform or niche?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Sun, September 08, 2019

How can I value price social media services?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, September 06, 2019

How should I quote projects without promising too much?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Wed, September 04, 2019

How do I guarantee ROI if I operate at a strategic level?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, September 02, 2019

How do I have The Why Conversation if I'm cold calling?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Sat, August 31, 2019

Do I have to be the most expensive option?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Thu, August 29, 2019

How do I sell the outcome?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, August 27, 2019

How do I have a value-based conversation with repeat clients?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Sun, August 25, 2019

Positioning Your Firm with guest Joel Pilger

Joel Pilger on positioning. Talking Points The importance of outcome-based positioning The democratization of tools (and the resulting commoditization of services) How Rails damaged the business of web development The types of value that creative firms can deliver (if they would just stop talking about their tools) Why creative firms accidentally devalue themselves in their marketing How jargon destroys client trust Why it is a bad thing if your clients understand your jargon The difference between building something nobody hates vs something someone loves The difference between between appealing to peers vs appealing to buyers Why SEO attracts price sensitive buyers Why great positioning attracts better clients Why niching down attracts more AND better leads How the "addiction to cash" wrecks your sales efforts Joel's AMAZING positioning hack (a vs the) Joel's "Three P" positioning exercise (i.e., purpose, power, personality) Joel's Bio Joel Pilger helps great creatives run great creative companies. As a RevThinker, Joel has advised hundreds of creative firms based in 23 countries around the world. He is the host of the RevThinking Podcast as well as the host of regular QOHORT retreats and dinners for creative entrepreneurs in New York, Los Angeles, and London. Related Links Joel's website RevThinking Podcast RevThink email course QOHORT Joel's bad positioning meme Jonathan's soggy positioning collection The Introduction Game The Rolodex Moment The Why Conversation First Fight website First Fight interview ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready

Fri, August 23, 2019

Can value pricing work for a B2C project?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Wed, August 21, 2019

How do I package productized services?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Wed, August 21, 2019

How do I set a fee when the outcome is qualitative?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, August 20, 2019

What should I say when a client asks me for tiny changes?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Wed, August 14, 2019

Taking Risks with guest Paul Mellor

The importance of trusting your gut, shipping great work, and taking some risks. About Paul Paul Mellor is the founder and design director at Mellor & Smith, which is a brand and ad agency that gets clients like Amazon, Expedia, and Spotify noticed. Talking Points Trusting your gut Comfort zone vs safety zone Ego risk vs real risk Swearing in your marketing Links We Mentioned Mellor & Smith Take Fucking Risks Events Paul on LinkedIn RiskyPicker GFDA ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Sat, June 22, 2019

Value Pricing For Agencies with guest Pascal Côté

How to transition a 50+ person agency from hourly billing to value pricing without going out of business in the process. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, June 21, 2019

How do I persuade a client that my work is valuable?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Wed, June 19, 2019

How do I attract buyers instead of peers?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, June 17, 2019

What should I do if I only have $1000 for marketing?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, June 14, 2019

Are proposal options part of a sales funnel?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Wed, June 12, 2019

Can I value price as part of a team?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, June 10, 2019

How should I structure options in a project proposal?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, June 03, 2019

I'm freelancing for my ex-employer but they still treat me like an employee... what should I do?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, May 27, 2019

What should I include in my consulting proposals?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, May 24, 2019

How do I know the client understands the value of the project?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Wed, May 22, 2019

What do I need to make the jump from implementation work to strategy work?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, May 20, 2019

Should I tell clients that I practice value-based pricing?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, May 10, 2019

Pricing Design with guest Dan Mall

Dan Mall joins me to talk about pricing 7-figure design projects. Dan's Bio: Dan Mall is a creative director and advisor from Philly. He's the founder and director of SuperFriendly, a design collaborative that brings exquisite creative direction and design to the world’s most important and interesting organizations. Dan is also the co-founder and CEO of SuperBooked, a service that helps you find work with a little help from your friends. Related Links Dan's personal website Dan's business website Dan's book Pricing Design Dan's sales process map Pricing Creativity by Blair Enns Pricing On Purpose by Ron Baker ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, April 26, 2019

The Strategic Independent with guest Tom Critchlow

Guest Tom Critchlow joins me to talk about mixing strategic thinking into implementation work. LINKS Tom's website Tom's article The Business of Expertise by David C. Baker The Altitude of Involvement How To Build Your First Productized Service Building The Perfect Testimonial ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, April 23, 2019

How do I justify premium fees if I live in a low cost of living area?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, April 22, 2019

How much money do I need to start a consulting business?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, April 19, 2019

Is white labeling something I should limit or is it a golden goose?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Thu, April 18, 2019

How can I apply value pricing when multiple parties are involved?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Wed, April 17, 2019

Does it do more harm than good to put "middle-tier" client logos on my website?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, April 16, 2019

What if the tactics or deliverables change in the middle of a project?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, April 15, 2019

How do I scale value pricing down to the freelance level?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, April 12, 2019

What if my prospective client hires someone who I have a not-so-great history with?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Thu, April 11, 2019

Should I ever mention value pricing with my prospective clients?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, April 08, 2019

How do I deal with little jobs like fixing a CSS mistake?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Sun, April 07, 2019

How do I balance constant learning with specialization?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Sat, April 06, 2019

Design retainers with guest Morgan Pendergrass

Design retainers with guest Morgan Pendergrass Morgan's website - Luxxe.co ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, April 05, 2019

How do I value price on a small scale?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Thu, April 04, 2019

Should I look at the client's code before quoting a price?

Should I look at the client's code before quoting a value price? No. It opens you up to risk from a total stranger It implies that you're operating with a scope-based mindset and will end up pricing based on your perceived cost You can find out what you need to know in faster and safer ways... and if it blows up in your face anyway, you can refund their money on day 1 once you've seen the code. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Wed, April 03, 2019

Why isn't my content marketing attracting more leads?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, April 02, 2019

What do I say when a prospect asks how I price my work (if not hourly)?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, April 01, 2019

Can I use my old testimonials in my new niche?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, March 29, 2019

How do you go about budgeting time for a project?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Thu, March 28, 2019

How should I write a proposal with multiple price options when the client has shared their budget with me?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Wed, March 27, 2019

What if your sales interview descends into chaos?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, March 26, 2019

How to prevent clients from reverse engineering an hourly rate from your value price

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, March 25, 2019

Can designers sell retainers?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Sun, March 24, 2019

Are advice retainers different from design retainers?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Sat, March 23, 2019

How should I raise prices on a monthly-based service with my existing clients?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, March 22, 2019

How do I get past a gatekeeper to the real decision maker?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Thu, March 21, 2019

When is the best time of year to try to land new clients?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Wed, March 20, 2019

How should I make the shift from employee to consultant?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, March 19, 2019

How should I split the profits if I hire someone to do the implementation work for me?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, March 18, 2019

How do I start to attract big brands to my agency?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Sun, March 17, 2019

How can you value price a big project without a comprehensive scope document?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Sat, March 16, 2019

How long should a money-back guarantee be good for?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, March 15, 2019

What if my client pivots their business in the middle of a value priced project?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Thu, March 14, 2019

Do I have to move to a tech hub to grow my business?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Wed, March 13, 2019

Can a newb become a consultant right away?

Q&A from TheJonathanStarkShow.com on YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, March 08, 2019

Should you work for free in exchange for referrals?

What would you say if someone asked you to work for free in exchange for referrals? ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, March 01, 2019

XY Positioning Statement

How to craft an XY Positioning Statement. Click here to read the companion article ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Wed, February 20, 2019

Making Seconds Count with guest Alice Lee-Yoon

Scientific research into the negative psychological effects of trading time for money. Guest bio: Alice Lee-Yoon is a prospective phd student researching the link between time, money, and employee happiness. Her papers have been published in leading journals such as Current Opinion in Psychology and Academy of Management Journal, and her works have also been covered in Harvard Business Review, Psychology Today, and New York magazine. Related links: The Psychological Trap of Freelancing Making Seconds Count: When valuing time promotes subjective well-being People Who Choose Time Over Money Are Happier Time is Money When You’re Paid by the Hour How I Realized That Hourly Billing Is Nuts Hourly Billing Is Nuts: Essays On The Insanity Of Trading Time For Money ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Sat, January 12, 2019

Productized Services with guest Jason Resnick

Jason Resnick (aka @rezzz) shares how he went from burnt out jack-of-all-trades to in-demand specialist. Related Links Jason's Twitter Jason's website Transcript Jonathan Stark Hello and welcome to Ditching Hourly, I'm Jonathan Stark. Today I'm joined by guest Jason Resnick. Jason, welcome to the show. Jason Resnick Thanks for having me Jonathan. Jonathan Stark Can you tell folks who haven't heard of you before who you are and what you do? Jason Resnick Sure, as I said my name's Jason Resnick, Rezzz online as most people know who I am there. Yeah, I'm a web developer, I've been since the late 90's so showing my age a little bit. And yeah, and I've worked the full gamut from Fortune 50 companies to small agencies, largee agencies, consulting firms. And then I struck out on my own doing my own thing twice, the second time is in 2010 and I've been doing that full time every since. Jonathan Stark Excellent. So, the main reason, the impetus of this phone call is that ... I don't want to air too much dirty laundry but I was considering a platform migration from Drip to Convert Kit. So, anyone lisetening to this show I'm sure knows I sent out daily emails from a very heavy user of email automation, email marketing software, and it's one of my daily tools. So, small things really matter to me because it really adds up over time if there's small things that are annoying or not the way I'd like 'em or whatever the case may be. Jonathan Stark So, I was kind of, to be honest I was kind of ranting about this in a slack room that we're both in and as many times as we've talked in the past you were not pigeon holed in my mind as an email marketing platform guru the way that you are now. So, it was like we started talking and I was like, "Wow, Jason's got amazing answers to these questions. What's going on here?" So, tell me a little bit about ... And then, I came to realize oh this is your deal. So, could you tell people a little bit about your, I don't know I'll use the wrong word but sort of convert kit trusted partner or whatever it is and I think you're also a Drip one and that whole. Jason Resnick Yes. Jonathan Stark Talk a little bit about how that piece of it happened, the sort of partner thing. Jason Resnick Yeah. So, like I said I am a web developer. I focused ever since I started on my own I focused with e-commerce companies whether they were selling digital, physical products, membership websites, subscriptions, even non profits, basically anybody that was taking some sort of a transaction online. And as that grew and I really started to work, sort of fall into a specialty there where I was helping them decrease the time from the firs

Wed, November 28, 2018

Setting Expectations with guest Ben Manley

The benefits of offering a productized service. In this episode of Ditching Hourly I'm joined by guest Ben Manley. Ben is the founder of Knapsack, a web design firm that offers an laser focused productized service that allows his team to deliver beautiful websites to their clients in one day. Ben shares his background and explains in detail how he went from a generalist design freelancer who would do anything from Photoshop comps to theater sets, to running a highly specialized web design firm that generates incredible word-of-mouth referrals. As a past client of Ben's, I can tell you from experience that his process is stellar and delivers a huge amount of value in a very short time. Talking Points Transitioning from hourly billing to project based prices The benefits of specializing The importance of having a healthy margin Designing with the client over your shoulder How to ask for good design feedback Capitalizing on a platform specialization Preventing scope creep on fixed price services Related Links Knapsack The site Ben build for Jonathan (password is 'mobile') StoryBrand Breaking the Time Barrier by Mike McDerment and Donald Cowper ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Thu, October 25, 2018

Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You with guest John Warrillow

Business valuation expert John Warrillow explains the benefits of making your business more valuable as an acquisition target, even if you have no intention of selling it. Talking Points The two most common reasons business owners consider selling their business Why it makes sense to build your business to sell even if you don't want to sell The difference between growing value and growing revenue Why productizing makes it easier to charge upfront for services Quotable Quotes "I see a lot of freelancers 'start a company', but they really just created a job."—JW "There's a difference between 'specialization' and 'productization'."—JW "Focus on a very small niche and become dominant in that space."—JW "People say 'Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity,' but neither is the value of your company."—JW "If you're just a hodgepodge of a bunch of undifferentiated services, an acquirer could easily go after your revenue without buying you."—JW "The very same things that make your business valuable and sellable, are also the things that will make your business fun to run forever."—JW "Can the business succeed without you?"—JW "Employees thrive on repetition."—JW "Every service offering you add grows the complexity of your business exponentially."—JW "Take a half-day and think about the one thing you do better than anybody else."—JW "Billing after services are rendered creates a 90-day negative cashflow cycle."—JW Related Links Built to Sell (the book) Built to Sell (the podcast) Value Builder eMyth Revisited John's Bio John Warrilow is an entrepreneur, podcast host, and best-selling author with over 20 years of research experience into the small and medium business market. He has started and exited four companies, including a quantitative market research business that was acquired by the Corporate Executive Board in 2008. His best-selling book, Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You, was rewarded by both Fortune and Inc. Magazine as one of the best business books of 2011. He is also founder and host of the successful podcast, Built to Sell Radio. Recently, John has founded The Value Builder System , which helps business owners and advisors assess the value of their company. With over 35,000 business owners and advisors having taken the Value Builder Questionnaire, this system has helped reassess and raise the company’s value

Wed, September 19, 2018

The Language of Business with guest Norman Lieberman

Veteran recruiter Norman Lieberman shares hard won war stories from 37 years of cold calling. Talking Points You have to take control of the conversation in the first 20 seconds The importance of finding out the client's problem before you even think about selling anything to them Why talking about your company, product, or process is worse than useless Why to lead with a question and then shut up What you can learn from a cold-calling master, even if you'll never do them yourself How to bring prospects back to what they want accomplished if they start talking about price too early in the conversation How to pull a relationship together out of thin air How to anchor your high price against the much higher cost of doing nothing How to respond to a client who asks if you guarantee your work How to make buyer's eye glaze over (and what to do instead) Links Norman's site Norman's email Learn Your Lines Jill Konrath on TBOA The Secret of Selling Anything The Red Balloon ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, August 27, 2018

The Shape of Engagement with guest Scott Gould

You know you want your customers, employees, and communities to be engaged, but what exactly does ‘engagement’ mean? Scott Gould, author of The Shape of Engagement joins me to talk about how independent software developers can sow the seeds engagement. Talking Points Why engagement matters What engagement is The three levels of engagement The three processes that make up the cycle of engagement Real-world examples of how typical marketing activities fit in the cycle of engagement Simple steps software professionals can take to understand why their work matters to their clients Guest Bio Scott Gould is an author and popular speaker who champions the cause of real engagement in a world where so much is only skin-deep. As a management advisor he has helped some of the world’s biggest brands and oldest organisations get their customers, employees and communities highly engaged around their mission. Related Links Scott’s website Scott’s book "The Shape of Engagement" Trainer Weekly by Reuven Lerner How to Fascinate by Sally Hogshead TED Talk by Joe Pine Social Proof Derek Sivers Kai Davis ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, August 03, 2018

Breaking The Time Barrier with guest Mike McDerment

Freshbooks CEO Mike McDerment joins me to discuss his book Breaking the Time Barrier. Talking Points The importance to talking to your clients Looking for ways to help your audience How to push yourself out of your comfort zone Why hourly billing is a bad idea Quotable Quotes “In one year, I worked 19 days and brought in $200,000.”—MM “I think the constant paranoia of not knowing something is healthy.”—MM “Your peers are great for support but you should look for an advisor who is a reach for you.”—MM “If you think your clients are the enemy, you’re so far off ”—MM “Sitting around and saying ‘It’s hard!’ is not going to get you anywhere. Figure it out.”—MM “Hourly billing pits you against your clients.”—MM “When your billing by the hour, everyone is staring at their shoes instead of where they want to go.”—JS “You have to choose your clients.”—MM “It’s a flag for me if my client going to tell me how I charge for my work.”—MM “Let’s stop talking about hours. What is it you want when I’m done?”—MM “I want to know that I can be successful when I'm done.”—MM Related Links Breaking The Time Barrier Freshbooks Bureau of Digital Give it five minutes Mike’s Bio Mike McDerment is co-founder and CEO of FreshBooks, the world’s #1 accounting software in the cloud for self-employed professionals and their employees. Prior to FreshBooks, Mike ran his own design firm where he accidentally saved over an invoice and realized an unmet need in the market. In 2003, he started FreshBooks from his parents’ basement in Toronto. Since then, over 10 million people have used FreshBooks to save time billing, look professional, and collect billions of dollars. Mike and his team dedicate themselves to executing extraordinary experiences everyday for customers who want to focus on what they love, not their paperwork. Mike has also authored “Breaking The Time Barrier,” a guide to using value-based pricing to unlock your true earning potential which has been downloaded more than 250,000 times. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to

Wed, July 25, 2018

Building Signature Systems with guest Maggie Patterson

Guest Maggie Patterson describes how she more than doubled her income by ditching hourly billing. Talking Points How hourly billing decreases your income The value of creating clearly defined service packages The benefits of systematizing your service delivery The magic of naming process steps How taking control of the client engagement increases your fees The importance of saying no to clients who are a bad fit How productized services make the sales process easier Quotable Quotes "If you're saying yes to everyone, that's a bad thing."—MP "If your close rate is off, you're either talking to the wrong person or your proposals are off."—MP "We're always going to make more money with a flat rate. Always."—MP Maggie's Bio Maggie Patterson is a communications strategist, business growth consultant, and the principal consultant at Scoop Studios. With two decades of experience, Maggie has spent her entire career in client services and has been a successful entrepreneur for over 10 years. Today, she works with online and small business owners to help them implement smart strategies for business growth and to maximize the impact of their digital marketing. She’s the host of the Small Business Boss podcast, has been on stage at events such as New Media Expo, Podcast Movement, and the Conquer Summit, and her work has been featured in leading publications such as Entrepreneur.com, Fast Company and Virgin.com. Related Links Scoop Studios Website
 Small Business Boss Website
 Instagram
 Scoop Studios Business Facebook Page
 Small Business Boss Facebook Page
 ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hop

Thu, July 12, 2018

Fishing Where The Fish Are with guest David A. Fields

Guest David A. Fields shares a gold mine of practical advice on outreach, positioning, building authority, trust building, and more. Talking Points How to maximize your impact as a consultant How to "fish where the fish are" How to identify ugent problems that your clients are dying to pay you to fix for them How to win business even when you're up against giant competitors How to build trust in a five minute conversation Quotable Quotes "It's about the finding the right people, right problem, right solution, right time."—DAF "Winning business is easy when you're fishing where the fish are."—DAF "If you don't hear back from clients, you're operating where there's a lack of urgency."—DAF "If you're not winning as many clients as you'd like to, you have to make some changes."—DAF "You have to make your practice about the client, not about you."—DAF "Every time I have a conversation with someone who looks like my prospective clients, I learn something."—DAF "If you're smart and your willing to pick up something new, the sky's the limit."—DAF "Asking your client about hypotheticals will give you bad data. You have to ask them about the past."—DAF "What you differentiate yourself on are reliability and credibility."—DAF "Your whiz bang super unique process is likely to scare off clients."—DAF "Fees are the trickiest part of consulting."—DAF "There's more money to be had if you're solving a bigger problem for a bigger company."—DAF "You don't have to work with big companies to win big business."—DAF "You can build trust fairly quickly by living up to small promises."—DAF "Targeting aspirations is a longer sale than targeting problems."—DAF Related Links David's website David's book Guide To Winning Clients Dale Carnegie quote about fishing with strawberries and cream Oren Klaff's power frame concept from his book Pitch Anything Gartner Hype Cycle Transcript Jonathan S: 00:00 Hello and welcome to Ditching Hourly. I'm Jonathan Stark. Today I am joined by David A. Fields. David is the co-founder of Ascendant Consulting, is a true consultants' consultant who works with selling boutique consulting firms w

Thu, June 21, 2018

All Late Projects Are The Same with guest Tom DeMarco

Tom DeMarco - a former software litigation consultant - explains what all late software projects have in common. Guest Bio Tom DeMarco is a Principal of The Atlantic Systems Guild, a technology think tank with offices in the United States, Great Britain and Germany. He is the author of ten books on organizational dynamics and the role of technology, plus five novels. His most recent work —just published this month — is a romance, entitled The One-Way Time Traveler. Talking Points Why clients get angry when a project is late Who is to blame when a project is late The real reason for tight deadlines How to respond when a project has an unrealistic deadline How the value of a project affects deadline expectations Why clients initiate projects that offer marginal returns How managers use bad estimates to manipulate employees Why software is so inexpensive these days What distinguishes prosperous software developers from those who are struggling What buyers are actually concerned about other than price Quotable Quotes "I thought all late projects were the same in that they were really estimation failures, not performance failures. I still believe that all late projects are the same, but for an entirely different reason. All projects that finish late have this one thing in common: they started late."—TD "By the 1990s, a significant part of my practice was litigation support, which was a natural consequence of raising my rates to the level that only legal departments could afford."—TD "Being blindsided by the competition—is not software developer failure but that of some marketing arm that got one upped by superior marketers in another company."—TD "If a project offered a value of 10 times its estimated cost, no one would care if the actual cost to get it done were double the estimate."—TD Related Links Tom's Late Projects article Tom's Personal Site The Atlantic Systems Guild Procreate App ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the m

Fri, May 25, 2018

You Can’t Buy An Hour

You know you can't literally buy an hour from someone... so why do you think you can sell an hour to someone? Here's the tweet that inspired this episode: Matt's Tweet Thanks to Matt Olpinski for asking! —J ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Wed, May 09, 2018

Serving vs Selling with guest Liston Witherill

If you hate selling, you're probably doing it wrong. Guest Liston Witherill joins me to change your mind forever about what it means to sell as a consultant. Talking Points Where did the negative feelings about marketing and sales come from? How can you sell without selling? What you can do to relax in the sales process Why persuasion has no place in the sales process The importance of listening in the sales process How to have your products and services sell themselves What activities are okay to give away for free and which aren't? What to do if you find yourself in a terrible client relationship Liston's Bio Liston Witherill helps consultants sell their expertise with confidence by creating sales programs that produce predictable results. He's a coach and trainer who works with consultants, business owners, and their teams to take proactive control over their revenue. You can read his writing and watch his videos at liston.io. Links Liston's website Liston's LinkedIn Value Pricing Bootcamp ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, April 24, 2018

Lessons Learned Building My First Online Software Course with guest Chris Buecheler

Thinking of monetizing your expertise by creating an online software training course? Don't make these three classic blunders. Lessons Learned Building My First Online Software Course with guest Chris Buecheler Today I'm joined by guest Chris Buecheler to talk about a few of the hard lessons he learned creating his first online software course, Five Minute React . Chris' Bio Christopher Buecheler is a self-taught web developer with over 20 years of professional experience. He's worked as a developer for a variety of internet companies. He founded CloseBrace because he loves tech and wanted to share his knowledge with other developers. "I believe you can learn Node, Express, React, or anything else you'd like, and I want to help you do it!" —Chris Buecheler Talking Points Using version locking to future-proof your course Building the example app before writing the education materials Knowing how much to material to cover in a single course Links closebrace.com fiveminutereact.com expressjscheatsheet.com jsquickhits.com ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, March 30, 2018

Can Value Pricing Work for Firms? with guest Adam Aronson

Guest Adam Aronson joins me to discuss the feasibility of value pricing for firms. Adam's Bio Adam is the founder and principle of FileMaker development firm FullCity Consulting. Since 2000, FullCity has serviced clients like ESPN, the NY Rangers, and the WWE. Earlier in his career, he managed FileMaker database systems for advertising and television production at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and provided 24/7 personal technology support for Ms. Stewart and her executive team. Adam managed the IT side of the advertising department at Toys ‘R Us and was database manager for Bloomingdale’s wedding registry website. Without further ado, here's my interview with Adam Aronson. Enjoy! Links FullCity Consulting Find Your Moose Conference Talking Points Hourly billing is like taxes and fossil fuels; there's just not a better answer out there. There are two very different reasons why clients might ask you how long the project is going to take: They have some actual hard deadline They see time as a proxy for cost Developers are like artists. Would jazz musicians do their best work if you were paying them by the hour? Why do you eat hours on things you think took you too long, but you don't add hours for things you think you finished extra fast? If you're asking the client questions about their business logic or entity relationships in a sales meeting, you're doing it wrong. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Sat, March 17, 2018

Bells & Whistles

What if a client doesn't understand what they're getting themselves into? Talking points: The sales meeting is not over until you're reasonably confident that you can help improve the client's condition. Don't quote work that you believe will most likely hurt the client (even if they insist that they know what their doing). If you are skeptical of the client's vision, tell the client so and ask them to help you "connect the dots" to understand their business case. You need to understand the client's desired business outcomes in order to write a value based proposal (a feature list is not sufficient). Separating fools from their money is bad way to build a long-term business. When offering options, the lowest price option should be the thing that you agreed to in the sales meeting. Higher tier options may or may not have been discussed in the sales meeting. The lowest price option should be the most risky to the client and the highest tier should be the least risky to the client. Questions? Leave me a voicemail at (401) 952-8899 and I'll include your recording in an upcoming show. Cheers! —J ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Wed, February 07, 2018

The Business of Expertise with special guest David C. Baker

Guest David C. Baker joins me to talk about expertise, positioning, the pros and cons of vertical vs horizontal focus, addressing client concerns about conflicts of interest, the risk of hitching your cart to a third party, and tons more. David's Bio David grew up with a tribe of Mayan Indians in a remote village in the highlands of Guatemala. He’s an author, speaker, and advisor to entrepreneurial experts. This is his fifth book. He’s a helicopter and airplane pilot, an avid photographer, and taught high performance motorcycle riding/racing. Based in Nashville, he has visited and worked all over the world. He is married, has two boys, two daughters-in-law, and multiple grandchildren. His work has been featured in the WSJ, Fast Company, USA Today, Inc. Magazine, and Forbes. He speaks regularly at various TEDx events, Harvard, Adobe, and major international conferences to audiences looking for accessibly refreshing insight into how experts shape their world. Links The Business of Expertise ReCourses: Business Insight for Expert Marketing Firms 2Bobs: Conversations on the art of creative entrepreneurship with David C. Baker and Blair Enns ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, February 02, 2018

Value-Based Design with guest Nick Disabato

Guest Nick Disabato (aka nickd) talks about measuring the economic value of design. Links Nick's personal site Nick's consultancy Nick's new book Nick's A/B testing course ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, January 23, 2018

Price Sickness with guest Janet Kafadar

Does the idea of doubling your prices make you physically ill? Janet Kafadar shares a very personal, inspirational, and funny story about how pricing herself too low wrecked her health... and yet raising her prices literally made her puke. Definitely check this one out. Links Janet's site Janet's YouTube ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, January 23, 2018

Productized Consulting with guest Jane Portman

Jane Portman joins me to talk about her new book, Your Productized Consulting Guide. Links Jane's book - Your Productized Consulting Guide Jane's SaaS - UserList.io Jane's home site 20% Off Ditching Hourly listeners can use coupon code DH20 for 20% any package of Jane's book . Thanks Jane! ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, December 19, 2017

Pricing Creativity with special guest Blair Enns

Blair Enns delivers an impromptu master class on the strategies and tactics of value pricing creative work. Blair's Bio Blair Enns is a 25-year veteran of the business side of the creative professions. In 2002, he launched Win Without Pitching, which has worked with thousands of creative professionals in numerous countries through direct engagements, seminars, workshops & webcasts. Blair is the author of "The Win Without Pitching Manifesto" and the forthcoming "Pricing Creativity: A Guide to Profit Beyond the Billable Hour" Links Pricing Creativity Win Without Pitching 2Bobs Podcast Blair on Twitter Blair on LinkedIn Implementing Value Pricing: A Radical Business Model for Professional Firms Jonathan's notes on "Pricing With Confidence" by Reed Holden "The Big Lie of Strategic Planning" in HBR Transcript Jonathan: Hello and welcome to Ditching Hourly. I'm Jonathan Stark. On today's show I'm joined by Blair Enns. Blair is a 25 year veteran of the business side of the creative professions. In 2002, he launched Win Without Pitching which has worked with thousands of creative professionals in numerous countries through direct engagements, seminars, workshops and webcasts. Blair's the author of the Win Without Pitching Manifesto and the forthcoming Pricing Creativity: A Guide to Profit Beyond the Billable Hour. Without further ado, here's my interview with Blair [00:00:30] Enns, enjoy. Blair, welcome to the show. Blair: Thank you Jonathan, my pleasure to be here. Jonathan: I am super excited to talk with you today especially about your new book Pricing Creativity. Could you start off by giving listeners a little bit of context about what the book is meant to do for its readers, who's targeted at, what led you to write it just sort of the big picture. Blair: Yeah so my businesses is Win Without Pitching, it's a sales training for creative professionals. We work with [00:01:00] independent, typically owners of independent creative firms of various types usually design or advertising based but often going into the kind of adjacent markets and their teams and we help them get better at selling what it is that they do and you know there's some right there in the name Win Without Pitching there are some ideas around the conventions that we help to challenge. Pricing Creativity is meant to be a [00:01:30] desk reference ... an enjoyable readable refer

Mon, December 11, 2017

Monetizing Technical Expertise By Selling Sponsorships with guest Corey Quinn

Corey Quinn is a consultant who helps companies fix their horrifying AWS bills. In this episode, Corey explains how he monetized his technical expertise by selling sponsorships for his weekly mailing list. Links Last Week in AWS Quinn Advisory Group Corey's Twitter Corey's sponsorship page ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, November 17, 2017

Donations As A Revenue Stream with guest Brian Dunning

Former software consultant Brian Dunning talks about transitioning from hourly billing for dev work to donation supported content production. Description My guest today is Brian Dunning. Brian is an old friend who I met back when we were both building FileMaker solutions for clients who we billed on an hourly basis. Over the years, Brian has transitioned away from trading time for money to the most purely value-based model I've ever encountered: he now runs a donation supported non-profit called Skeptoid Media. As a former dev, I wanted to have Brian to hopefully inspire you to consider packaging up and selling your expertise in an novel way. Enjoy... Links Skeptoid podcast Brian's personal site Brian on Twitter Closing The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, this is what you should say: "I don't have one." To learn what to say next, visit http://valuepricingbootcamp.com to signup for my free email course. Again, that url is: http://valuepricingbootcamp.com ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Wed, November 15, 2017

Monetizing Technical Expertise By Selling Sponsorships with guest Kurt Elster

Shopify guru and former Wordpress developer Kurt Elster explains how he monetized his technical expertise by selling sponsorships for his podcast. Links Kurt's press page Kurt's Twitter Kurt's sponsorship page ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Sat, November 11, 2017

Conquering Anxieties with guest Sherry Walling

How to recognize and handle the anxieties of running your own business with guest Dr. Sherry Walling Guest Bio Dr. Sherry Walling is a licensed clinical psychologist who helps high-performing professionals meet their potential to enjoy personal well-being, life satisfaction, and a sense of meaning. She has a PhD in clinical psychology and two master’s degrees. In addition, she completed research fellowships at Yale University School of Medicine and the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Through her podcast (zenfounder), her speaking engagements, and her consulting work, Sherry helps entrepreneurs, freelancers, and executives with burnout, anxiety, existential angst, conflicts, major transitions, and personal balance. Links Sherry's site ZenFounder.com Jonathan's Mentoring and Slack community MastermindJam ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, October 30, 2017

Making Change

Money is worthless if you can't exchange it for something you want. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, October 27, 2017

Stated Goals Vs Actual Goals

Push past your clients self-diagnosis to unlock more valuable outcomes. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Thu, October 26, 2017

Why I Would Happily Pay Ten Bucks For A Dollar

A real world example of the subjective value of money. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, October 23, 2017

Lessons Learned with guest Jason Swett

Jason Swett shares lessons he’s learned in the process of ditching hourly. Guest Bio Jason Swett is a web developer from Sand Lake, Michigan, who has been freelancing since 2011. Jason has historically billed by the hour but in the last couple years he has figured out how to start transitioning into value-based pricing." Links Million Dollar Consulting by Alan Weiss Better Training Exercises by Reuven Lerner Jason’s Book Jason’s Consultancy Transcript Jonathan Stark: Hello and welcome to Ditching Hourly. I'm Jonathan Stark. Today I'm joined by a guest Jason Swett. Jason is a web developer from Sand Lake Michigan, who's been freelancing since 2011. He has historically billed by the hour but in the last couple of years he has figured out how to start transitioning into value-based pricing. Jason welcome to show. Jason Swett: Thank you. Jonathan Stark: Can you tell folks a little about yourself, what you do? Jason Swett: Sure. I'm a software developer, I have been for most of the last 15 years. I got started writing code for money in about 2000. My first job was actually working for my dad. We did that for a little bit and then got my serious start in 2005, doing PHP stuff, did that for a while and switched to Rails and been doing that ever since. The vast majority of that time has been either regular employment or hourly contracting but then in recent months, recent years, I've been transitioning into other better types of billing, which I think is what we're going to talk a little bit today. Jonathan Stark: That would be great. We've exchanged a few emails leading up to this and you sound like a really big win that you had this year in the training space, which I'd love to talk about. But in the pre show you also mentioned something about ... We were talking about how people will tend to call themselves consultants when really they are just freelancers or contractors and that there is a distinction there. It's not like you can just say, "I'm a consultant now." Even though I think it's good to push in that direction, to move yourself to be perceived or fulfill the role of a consultant because it's higher value. Can you talk a little bit about what you see as the distinction between contracting and consulting. Jason Swett: It's a great question. Freelancing 101 is like don't call yourself a freelancer because when you use that word and then prospects or clients hear that, there's something about it that conveys low value. Like you are a tool that's to be used. They

Thu, October 19, 2017

What do you do?

How to answer the world's most common cocktail party question ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Wed, October 18, 2017

Lead with the symptom, not the disease

Bait your hook with worms, not poptarts. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, October 17, 2017

Client don’t pay you to code

Clients are paying for outcomes, not outputs. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, October 17, 2017

What if the client has no budget?

What to say when the client reveals that they have an absurdly low budget. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, October 17, 2017

The Helicopter Option

Why clients don't always choose the cheapest option. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, September 08, 2017

Pulling The Trigger On Value Pricing with guest Joel Miller

Joel Miller shares his first experiences using value pricing for project work Guest Bio Joel is co-owner and project manager at The Sky Floor, a web design and marketing company in the Chicago area. I asked Joel to come on Ditching Hourly to share with you his first experiences using value pricing for project work. Enjoy. Quotes "Hourly billing is a quagmire." —Joel Miller "My advice to someone considering value pricing is start with a new client." —Joel Miller "One of the things that really scares me about hourly billing is that everyone starts talking about money before anyone even knows why the work needs doing at all." —Jonathan Stark "Everything is practice for the next time." —Jonathan Stark Links The Sky Floor The Why Conversation Takeaways A great time to experiment with value pricing is when you're really busy ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, August 25, 2017

The Irony of the Generalist

The worst time to present yourself as a generalist is when you’re desperate for work. Ditching Hourly 032: The Irony of the Generalist In this episode, I'll give you a concrete example of how presenting yourself as a generalist will actually decrease the number of leads you get. Oh, the irony! That’s it for today. I’m JS and this is Ditching Hourly. Thanks for listening. The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, this is what you should say: "I don’t have one." To learn what to say next, visit http://valuepricingbootcamp.com to signup for my free email course. Again, that url is: http://valuepricingbootcamp.com ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, July 28, 2017

The Subjective Value Of Money

$30 is worth more to some people than others Ditching Hourly 031: The Subjective Value Of Money Hello! and Welcome to Ditching Hourly. I'm Jonathan Stark. Today, I'm going to talk about the subjective value of money. LINKS Jonathan’s Card That's it for today. I'm JS and this is Ditching Hourly. Thanks for listening. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, July 24, 2017

Can Agile Projects Be Value Priced? with guest Jason Mundok

Are value pricing and agile development compatible? Jason Mundok joins me to talk about value pricing agile projects. Guest Bio Jason Mundok is a co-founder of Elusive Moose, an online business resource and community for software developers. He has been developing custom business applications since 2000 and has been successfully managing software development projects for over ten years. In 2012, Jason began training and coaching software development consultancies on implementing Agile methodologies for managing projects. He has published numerous white papers on the topic and presented project management topics at national developer conferences and regional technology meetups. You can find out more about Jason at elusivemoose.com . ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, July 21, 2017

Be The Expert

Are you acting like an expert or an employee? Ditching Hourly 029: Be The Expert There's a Seinfeld episode where Jerry hires a carpenter to build him some kitchen cabinets. The carpenter is insanely, hilariously, indecisive and at every turn asks for Jerry's opinion about how he (the carpenter) should do his own job. "which hinge should I use?" etc You almost expect the guy to ask Jerry how to hold the hammer. My question to you is this: Are you doing the same thing with your clients? Yours, —J P.S. Here's a link to the clip: Indecisive Carpenter ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, July 14, 2017

The Goldilocks Problem with guest Josh Robbs

Finding the overlap between your target market's problems and the solutions your expertise can provide. Ditching Hourly 028: The Goldilocks Problem with guest Josh Robbs I'm joined by listener Josh Robbs who asks: I'm stuck and it might be a problem that other beginners (or people changing their positioning) have. Seriously, this is my ultimate positioning / expensive problem frustration. Might be some newsletter or podcast fodder. I'm supposed to find people with a problem I can solve. They need to know that they have a problem. They need to be able to pay for the problem to be fixed. They need to be interested in solving the problem. The problem needs to be expensive. If they're interested in and able to fix the problem, wouldn't they have fixed it? Smart enough to know they have a problem, not smart enough to fix it. Funded enough to afford the solution, not well off enough that they don't care. Ambitious enough to want the problem fixed, not ambitious enough to take care of it. The porridge can't be too hot, but it can't be too cold. I know that people who need, in my case, web design exist. But when I try to define them, they end up sounding... impossible. And if they were real, how would you find the right people since they all look the same. The "too rich to care", the "too broke to pay", and the Goldilocks clients all look the same. Something I can't get past. —Josh In our conversation we cover topics including: How to find a target market that is the right fit. How to spider a conference website to build market intelligence. How to your network the tools they need to help you. Finding the overlap between your target market's problems and the solutions your expertise can provide. Enjoy! —J ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Thu, July 13, 2017

My Squirrel Guy

Focus on outcomes, not activities. Ditching Hourly 027: My Squirrel Guy Why you should focus your sales conversation more on your client’s desired outcomes than the activities you will undertake on their behalf (and how my squirrel guy got it wrong). ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Thu, June 29, 2017

Why You Should Be Offering Guarantees

Why you should be offering guarantees. Ditching Hourly 026: Why You Should Be Offering Guarantees Hello! and Welcome to Ditching Hourly. I'm Jonathan Stark. Today, I'm going to talk about offering guarantees. One of the tactics I advocate for increasing your fees is to offer some sort of guarantee. This typically horrifies developers. They immediately have visions of an unreasonable client demanding a 100% refund after six months of work.  Yikes, right? Still, I think you should consider offering guarantees.  And here's the thing... you probably already guarantee your work!  Ask yourself this: Have you ever eaten an hour to mollify a disgruntled client? Have you ever done some work for free because you screwed something up? Have you ever issued a refund because you ended up being a bad fit for a client? If you answered YES to any of these, then you ALREADY guarantee your work. So... Why not make your guarantee explicit instead of implicit? How and when to offer guarantees for the kinds of work that software developers typically do is a touchy subject. Over the years, I have offered different sorts of guarantees for different sorts of products and services. The type that I choose in a given situation depends on a variety of factors like: the type of product/service the level or risk involved the scope of work For example: Software projects - Case by case, but usually my guarantee is along the lines of “I’ll keep working until we’ve reached the stated goals” or “If at any point in the next 12 months a bug crops up, I’ll fix it for free.” rather than “I’ll refund your money for the entire project.” (This only works if you give a fixed price for the project, of course.) Monthly retainers - I offer full refund at any time during the first month to make sure we’re a good fit. No refunds after that.  Private speaking gigs - I do not offer refunds, even if client cancels prior to the event. They are allowed to reschedule at no charge, however.  Online training classes - No refunds, but student can retake for free.  For fairly fixed scope dev work (e.g., a productized service) that I can finish quickly, I’d offer a 100% money back guarantee on my sales page.  (I’d also price the service accordingly, but that’s another story.) So, for something like a half day of SQL performance tuning, I’d offer a 100% money back guarantee if the client was unhappy with the outcome.  I see this type of service as analogous to bringing my car to a mechanic to have it tuned up... if the car is still running rough when I leave, I’d expect them to either redo the work or refund my money.  Here's the key point

Mon, May 22, 2017

The Ethics of Hourly Billing with special guest Ron Baker

Special guest Ron Baker and I discuss the ethical challenges of hourly billing. The Ethics of Hourly Billing with special guest Ron Baker Special guest Ron Baker and I discuss the ethical challenges of hourly billing. Today I’ve got a very special episode of Ditching Hourly for you. I'm joined by value pricing pioneer, Ron Baker to discuss the ethical challenges of hourly billing. Ron is a recovering CPA who began value pricing in 1989. He’s the author of seven best-selling books, including: Pricing on Purpose; Measure What Matters to Customers; and Implementing Value Pricing. He’s the founder of pricing think-tank VeraSage Institute and a radio talk-show host on the VoiceAmerica.com show: The Soul of Enterprise. Just to give you a taste, here are some of the killer quotes Ron shares: “A service that’s guaranteed is worth more than a service that’s not.” “Would you want to get on a plane and be charged $4/min retroactively?” “Prescription without diagnosis is malpractice.” “If we don’t think we’re worth it, how will our customers ever believe we’re worth it?” LINKS Ron Baker on Twitter Implementing Value Pricing Pricing On Purpose Verasage Institute Extraordinary Guarantees : A New Way to Build Quality Throughout Your Company & Ensure Satisfaction for Your Customers "Bugs" Burger Bug Killers, Inc. The Backwards Bicycle The Soul Of Enterprise ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book

Fri, May 19, 2017

Value Pricing Cuts Both Ways

Value pricing is not a license to print money. Ditching Hourly 024: Value Pricing Cuts Both Ways Hello! and Welcome to Ditching Hourly. I'm Jonathan Stark. Today, I'm going to dispel the misconception that value pricing is a license to print money. Value pricing cuts both ways. It is not a magic wand that you wave and suddenly poof! you get to charge more for projects. value pricing - as the name indicates - is the practice of setting a price for a project based on the value that the project delivers. In this model, the price that you set has to be lower than the perceived value in the client's mind. Otherwise, they will have received a negative ROI. Here's an example: Alice from Domino's Pizza approaches you to design and build an event micro-site for their upcoming super bowl promotion. It's a basically a fancy web page. You have a Why Conversation with Alice, and agree to an objective for the project, metrics to gauge progress toward the goal, and a rough value to the organization for the success of the project. In a situation like this, it's conceivable that value to Domino's might be in the seven figures (or, that failure would cost them seven figures). If that's the case, you could almost certainly sell the project - i.e., building a single web page - for $100k. Even if it took you 100 hours, you'd be making an effective hourly rate of $1000 Here's the counter example: Bob from Bob's Pizza approaches you to design and build a website for his single location pizza place. He wants all the usual restaurant stuff: online menu with pictures, info about the restaurant, contact info for calling in an order over the phone, location of the restaurant with a fancy interactive map, and oh by the way, online ordering that accepts all major credit cards, apple pay, google wallet and paypal. And while you're at it, could you also do one of those pizza trackers like dominos has that sends updates to the customer as their pizza is prepared and delivered? You have a Why Conversation with Bob. The objective, metrics, and value of the project are hazy ("my brother in law told me we should get a website, so I called you"). Bob has no idea how much the website might increase sales, never mind other intangibles like brand or goodwill. You push him on it and has guesses that the site might increase his sales by a few hundred bucks a month. And to be honest, Bob says, if it did much more than that, he wouldn't be able to keep up with demand because they're already crazy busy keeping up with walk-in traffic from the local college. Would Bob agree to $100k for the project? Heck no. He prolly would not even agree to $10k. The trouble is, Bob's perception of the project value is very low. If he paid more than a few thousand bucks for all that work, he'd feel like he was losing money on it. So... For the Domino's project - where the labor intensity is low,

Thu, April 13, 2017

Converting Hourly Clients To Value Pricing

Ditching Hourly 023: Converting Hourly Clients To Value Pricing Hello! and Welcome to Ditching Hourly. I'm Jonathan Stark. Today, I'm going to talk about how to transition your existing hourly clients over to value pricing. It's wicked hard They don't think of you the way you want them to It'd kind of like being in the friend zone Probably easier to find new clients who don't have you pigeonholed in the wrong place BUT if you love the client or whatever, and want to give it a try, here are some tactics for you Quietly lay the ground work while still billing hourly Try to gain more access to business people (e.g., founder, president, ceo, sales director) vs tech people (dev lead, dev manager, project manager, cto, even cio) Start probing for business cases behind specific requests Politely offer alternative solution when they occur to you Wait for an opportunity to quote a new chunk of work Pull your business contacts into the "scope" meeting Have a Why Conversation to get at the desired business outcomes Present a proposal with both and hourly estimate and a fixed price What you SHOULD NOT do: Don't barge into their office a say "so, we're going to do value pricing from now on!" Don't try to explain what value pricing even is How you price is none of their business But if they ask, say "based on past experience with this sort of thing" That's it for today. I'm JS and this is Ditching Hourly. Thanks for listening. The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, this is what you should say: "I don't have one." To learn what to say next, visit http://valuepricingbootcamp.com to signup for my free email course. Again, that url is: http://valuepricingbootcamp.com The next time a client asks you to justify an entry on your timesheet, go to http://valuepricingbootcamp.com to signup for my free email course. Again, that url is: http://valuepricingbootcamp.com ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: <a

Thu, April 06, 2017

How To Grow Your Business Without Hiring

Ditching Hourly 022: How To Grow Your Business Without Hiring Hello! and Welcome to Ditching Hourly. I'm Jonathan Stark. Today I talk about how to grow your business without hiring junior employees or farming out work to contractors. The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, this is what you should say: "I don't have one." To learn what to say next, visit http://valuepricingbootcamp.com to signup for my free email course. Again, that url is: http://valuepricingbootcamp.com ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Wed, March 08, 2017

Value Pricing in the Enterprise with guest Jeff Scornavacca

Ditching Hourly 021: Value Pricing in the Enterprise with guest Jeff Scornavacca Hello! and Welcome to Ditching Hourly. I'm Jonathan Stark. Today, I'm joined by guest Jeff Scornavacca . Jeff is a business consultant who helps companies improve their contracting and offer development processes. He's worked with clients like Johnson & Johnson, Ocean Spray Cranberries, Reebok, and many others. Jeff has been value pricing enterprise clients for years which is what we focus on in this episode. The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, this is what you should say: "I don't have one." To learn what to say next, visit http://valuepricingbootcamp.com to signup for my free email course. Again, that url is: http://valuepricingbootcamp.com ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, February 24, 2017

Is Value Pricing Immoral?

Ditching Hourly 020: Is Value Pricing Immoral? Hello! and Welcome to Ditching Hourly. I'm Jonathan Stark. Today, I'm going to answer the question: Is value pricing immoral? The next time a client questions one of your hours entries, visit http://valuepricingbootcamp.com to signup for my free email course. Again, that url is: http://valuepricingbootcamp.com ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Fri, February 17, 2017

Can Any Type Of Project Be Value Priced?

Ditching Hourly 019: Can Any Type Of Project Be Value Priced? Hello! and Welcome to Ditching Hourly. I'm Jonathan Stark. Today, I'm going to talk about what sorts of projects can be value priced and which can't. Any kind of project can be value priced. BUT... not every kind of project can be value priced profitably. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, January 24, 2017

Ten Ways To Attract Your Ideal Buyer

If you're barely getting any leads, you're not going to have the confidence to experiment with ditching hourly billing. Hello! and Welcome to Ditching Hourly. I'm Jonathan Stark. Today, I'm going to talk about gaining the confidence you need to experiment with new pricing techniques by increasing the number of leads you get on a weekly basis. "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." —Albert Einstein Advice: Get more leads so you can start practicing new things. How to get more leads: Freely share your expertise with people who would be your ideal buyers. i.e., TEACH Ways to freely share your expertise: Speak at conferences attended by your ideal buyers Guest on podcasts listened to by your ideal buyers Blog for websites read by your ideal buyers Write for magazines read by your ideal buyers Build relationships with people who are trusted by your ideal buyers Open source some code that would be of use to your ideal buyers Publish screencasts that would be of use to your ideal buyers Publish a podcast that would be of use to your ideal buyers Host a webinar that would be of use to your ideal buyers Host a meetup that would be of use to your ideal buyers ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Thu, January 19, 2017

Escape Hourly Billing with Productized Services with guest Kurt Elster

Shopify guru Kurt Elster explains how he used productized service to escape the hourly billing trap. Hello! and Welcome to Ditching Hourly. I'm Jonathan Stark. Today, I'm joined by guest Kurt Elster. Kurt is a Senior Ecommerce Consultant who helps Shopify store owners uncover hidden profits in their websites. Kurt is the founder of ecommerce agency Ethercycle, host of the popular Ecommerce Hacks Weekly video series, author of Ecommerce Bootcamp, and host of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast. In this episode, Kurt explains how he uses productized service to escape the hourly billing trap. Enjoy! More Information about Kurt: Websites Get Kurt's book at ecommerce-bootcamp.com Learn more about Kurt at kurtelster.com Hear Kurt's advice at unofficialshopifypodcast.com Work with Kurt at ethercycle.com Learn from Kurt at Ecommerce Hacks Weekly Social Media https://twitter.com/kurtinc https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtelster That's it for today. I'm JS and this is Ditching Hourly. Thanks for listening. The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, remember to visit http://valuepricingbootcamp.com to signup for my free email course. Again, that url is: http://valuepricingbootcamp.com ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, January 17, 2017

High-Touch, Low-Touch, and Leverage

Using the concepts of high-touch, low-touch, and leverage in your mix of products and services. Links Concierge medicine Offering Mix Graph Offering Mix Medical Analogy Sign off If you bill by the hour and would like to learn how to significantly increase your income, please go to http://valuepricingbootcamp.com to signup for my free email course. Again, that url is: http://valuepricingbootcamp.com ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Thu, December 22, 2016

Building a Product Ladder

Escape the feast/famine cycle by building a product ladder. Hello! and Welcome to Ditching Hourly. I'm Jonathan Stark. Today, I'm going to talk about how to escape the feast/famine cycle by building a product ladder. HOUSEKEEPING The 4 phases of engagement is something I heard first from Blair Enns of WWP in a post called "We Will Diagnose Before We Prescribe" If you bill by the hour and would like to learn how to significantly increase your income, please go to http://valuepricingbootcamp.com to signup for my free email course. Again, that url is: http://valuepricingbootcamp.com ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Tue, December 13, 2016

Productized Services

How to break the habit of trading time for money with productized services. Today, I'm going to talk about how to break the habit of trading time for money using something called productized services. Topics covered include: What is a productized service? What are the pros and cons of a productized service? What goes into creating a productized service? ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Thu, December 08, 2016

The 8 Steps to Value Pricing with special guest Ron Baker

Special guest Ron Baker talks about overcoming pricing objections, managing scope creep, safely offering guarantees, and much more. Today I’ve got a very special episode of Ditching Hourly for you. I'm joined by value pricing pioneer, Ron Baker. Ron is a recovering CPA who began value pricing in 1989. He’s the author of seven best-selling books, including: Pricing on Purpose; Measure What Matters to Customers; and Implementing Value Pricing. He’s the founder of pricing think-tank VeraSage Institute and a radio talk-show host on the VoiceAmerica.com show: The Soul of Enterprise. This episode clocks in at nearly an hour - which I realize is longer than usual - but you’re going to want to listen to every single minute of it because Ron drops non-stop value bombs. Just to give you a taste, here are some of the killer quotes Ron shares: “The billable hour takes your focus away from measuring what matters to the customer.” “The billable hour delivers a lousy customer experience.” “Focusing on the tasks comes at the cost of focusing on the value.” “People don’t want to hear about the contractions, they want to see the baby!” “Value pricing is a skill like golf or tennis. The more you do it, the better you get.” “Don’t ask your client ‘What do you need?’ ask ‘What are you trying to achieve?’” “If you prescribe without diagnosis, it’s malpractice.” “A professional takes responsibility for creating an outcome, not delivering a series of tasks.” “What the client is trying to achieve determines the scope of work.” “Time spent in reconnaissance is never wasted.” “We have to get over the idea that we are pricing a series of tasks.” “Value is not a number, it’s a feeling.” “Two options encourages a price decision. Three options encourages a value decision.” “It’s a huge fallacy to think that just because you’re giving a fixed price, you’re not scoping.” “When would you rather find out your client is unhappy with your price: before you do the work or after?” Links Ron Baker on Twitter Implementing Value Pricing Pricing On Purpose Verasage Institute Seinfeld clip of indecisive carpenter TSOE #76: Lessons from the Trading Game <a href="http://planonapage.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Boat-Original-Contract-Change-Or

Tue, November 29, 2016

100% Up-Front

How to get paid for projects 100% up-front. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Wed, November 16, 2016

How To Write Proposals That Close

My #1 tip for writing proposals that close. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Wed, November 09, 2016

The Why Conversation

The three types of questions you must ask your prospect before writing your proposal. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, November 07, 2016

Making the Leap to Value Pricing with guest James Jeffers

Guest James Jeffers shares his recent success with his transition to value pricing. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, October 31, 2016

The Hourly Trap

Has a client ever questioned your timesheets? Or asked you to eat hours? Or demanded that you split the difference on a blown budget? If so, you've been caught in the hourly trap. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Thu, October 27, 2016

Cost vs Price vs Value

The only three numbers that matter when calculating profitability. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, October 24, 2016

The Red Balloon

Internalizing the idea of mutual profit. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, October 17, 2016

Burying the Billable Hour with guest Ed Kless

Guest Ed Kless explains why hourly billing is immoral, dispels the biggest myths of business, makes predictions about the future of money and more. Links Ed's website Ed's Twitter Ed's VoiceAmerica radio show Ed's book Pricing On Purpose Verasage Institute ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, October 17, 2016

Three Ways to Transition to Value Pricing

Learn three safe and simple tactics that will help you make the transition from hourly billing to value pricing. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, October 17, 2016

Intro to Value Pricing

Value pricing defined. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, October 17, 2016

The Hourly Income Barrier

Why hourly billing is bad for you, your work, and your clients. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!

Mon, October 17, 2016

Hello World

Ditching Hourly: who it's for and what it's about. ---- Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like: Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time? Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space? Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal? Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning. Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full. To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/call I hope to see you there!