I want to watch my kids grow up. I want my kids to say, “Go away!” not “Why is Dad always gone?” My family and my faith are my motivation for constantly improving my business and myself.
The freedom to choose my hours and move things around in my schedule is way more valuable to me than the supposed “security” that a 9-to-5 job offers. The only problem is, working for someone else really isn’t more predictable or secure.
I learned that the hard way back in April 2009 when I got laid off. My boss called me into his office on a Friday and told me with tears in his eyes that he had to let me go.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do without you,” he said. “You’re indispensable.”
“Uh… clearly not!” I thought.
I woke up the following Monday with $486 to my name and no clue what to do next. I didn’t really know what “freelancing” was. I had no freelance clients. I had no clue how to run my own business. I had never taken a single business class.
Talk about a great start! (That was sarcasm.)
Things were really scary for awhile. By the grace of God, I was able to quickly scrape together enough projects and money to pay rent and utilities.
Seven months later, I landed a $2,900 per month marketing retainer, and my eyes opened. That first year I gave myself a raise. I made 24% more as a freelancer than I would have if I’d kept my 9-to-5 job! Along the way, I made a surprising discovery: I liked business, and I was good at it.
Oh. A poet good at business? How strange.
A richer, fuller vision for my calling began to emerge: helping to create a bigger middle class of artists. I want to teach 1,000,000 creatives how to make at least $100,000.
Just think about how much money all those creatives will give back to their friends, families, communities, churches, and favorite causes! Or let me rephrase that: I believe the way I can exponentially increase my positive impact in this world by help you build a profitable business around work that doesn’t feel like work.
Will you allow me to participate in your transformation?
That may sound a little weird, but it is certainly less corny than saying I want to help make your dreams come true, which is also true. Ha! Like smart athletes, smart business owners stick to the fundamentals. That’s what I teach.
I hope you’ll invest in Freelance Cake and allow me to help you on your journey.