A client says they need full ownership, and you can feel the tension immediately. This walks through how to respond, what questions to ask, and how to keep the project moving.
Blog
How to read the usage rights section of a contract without getting overwhelmed
Most of what matters when it comes to usage rights is buried in a few contract lines. This walks through exactly what to scan for, what should make you pause, and how to tell the difference between standard language and something that needs a closer look.
The 5 questions to answer before you agree to any usage rights
A client asks about usage rights, and you feel pressure to answer right away. Before responding, ask these 5 questions.
What you’re actually selling (so you know what to say to clients)
Let’s shift how you price your work, not for what it is at delivery, but what it might become. This is the shift most creatives never learn. Not pricing higher. But structuring pricing differently so the value can evolve with the work.
Why you freeze when clients ask for usage rights (and how to fix it)
Learn the real reason mid-career creatives freeze when clients ask about usage, and how to approach usage rights with confidence, not guesswork.
Real-world behavior vs. paper structure + your weekly roundup
Hi Reader! Every year, about tax time, the LLC and s corp questions start rolling in. Things like, “Should I become an LLC?” “How do I create an s corp? “What’s the difference between an LLC and an s corp?” “What’s a reasonable salary for an s corp owner? Most of these answers are pretty straightforward, Deciding if an LLC is right is the ultimate Mama bear question: “Are there things you would fight to the death to protect if something went wrong in your business?” Deciding if it’s time for…
Turn small process improvements into calm business wins
Want a business that feels calmer? The answer is small improvements that compound. Simple practical tweaks that support your workflow.
The onboarding tweak I made + your weekly roundup
Hi Reader! As I mentioned a few weeks back, at the beginning of the year, I switched over to Honeybook. I’m using it primarily for contracts and invoicing. But this switch has been a good opportunity to look at my onboarding with fresh eyes. Onboarding isn’t just a set-it-and-forget-it system. It needs to grow, evolve, and change along with your business. While migrating my onboarding system, I identified a couple of areas that needed tweaks. One tweak was something that I used to do, and for…
Onboard new clients for smoother projects
How you onboard new clients sets the tone for the project. But is your onboarding system stuck in the past? Learn 4 common onboarding gaps even experienced creatives make.
Free work requests + system to handle them + your weekly roundup
Hi Reader! If you are keeping up with the Business Hangups note I suggested a few weeks back, you might have noticed requests for out-of-scope or free work. They sound harmless. Can you just tweak this? Could you make this tiny adjustment to the file? Could you hop on a quick call? Would you be available to meet for coffee? Each request feels small, but they stack. As your business grows, your vulnerability to these requests also grows. Because you’re established, your clients, peers, and…
Handle “just one more tweak” requests
Learn the 3-step response framework for handling out-of-scope requests and protect your time, profit, energy, and client relationships.
Avoid the same client emails + set aligned communication expectations + your weekly roundup
Hi Reader! The past few months, I’ve been wrapping up the last MCLEs I needed for my bar license renewal. And one of the sessions I attended was on client communication. Because it’s something all service providers need reminders about. There were two big themes of the session: bad news doesn’t get better with time you need to set communication expectations that align with the work Both of these were lessons I noted early on in my “Stuff I’ll Never Do Again” book. The first is obvious: if you…
