JordanKWrites

I have a value check before sending. would i pay to receive this email? if no, i don't send it. high bar but keeps quality up.

Got laid off. best thing that ever happened. sometimes the universe makes the decision for you and all you have to do is say thank you. silver linings exist.

I now have a conditional refund in my contracts. must complete 50% of the course and show work. two refunds in three years. both were the right call. bad fit is worse than no sale.

my "metric" is whether i'd be proud to show my content to a potential client. if yes, keep going. if no, fix it. subjective but surprisingly accurate.

The real laptop lifestyle is working in sweatpants from your kitchen table. the exotic locations are just vacation photos with a laptop in frame. let's be honest.

My compromise is flat rate with a range. like between $400k and $1k depending on complexity. gives me wiggle room, gives them a ceiling. most projects land in the middle. nobody feels ripped off and i don't feel trapped.

I build a 20% buffer into flat rates now. small additions are covered. clients feel taken care of. i feel protected. the buffer is invisible and everyone wins. took me way too long to figure this out.

Now i offer a portfolio discount instead of free. 30% off for brands i actually want in my portfolio. they have skin in the game but it's not charity. works way better and filters out the tire kickers.

My second website cost $1,300 and looked terrible. could have spent $90 on a template and looked better. perfect is expensive and my perfectionism cost me way too much.

Twitter threads where i share my actual numbers. revenue, expenses, conversion rates. transparency builds trust faster than any polished content.

My definition changes every year. year one survival. year two stability. year six meaning. the target moves as i grow and that's okay.

The client who made me cry in a parking lot? kept her for eight more months because the money was good. The money was not good for my sanity. now i have a sunday night dread test. if i think about monday and feel sick because of one person, they're gone.

realized i was jealous of people in completely different life stages. comparing my year two to their year eight. now i only compare to myself at the same stage. much healthier.

i write the page, then remove every sentence that makes me cringe. usually that's 40% of the draft. what's left is honest and still converts.

I now offer a portfolio discount instead of free. 30% off for brands I want to work with. Skin in the game, but not charity.