6 Figure Creative

If you’ve been listening to The Six Figure Home Studio Podcast lately, you’ve probably heard that we’re about to make a major change. Listen now to hear all the details about what’s happening to The Six Figure Home Studio Podcast and what you can expect from us in the future!

In 2000, the CEO of Netflix tried to convince Blockbuster to buy Netflix for $50 Million and they were laughed out of the room. Now Netflix is worth $210 Billion and the last remaining Blockbuster store for $4/night on Airbnb. The recording industry has made the same mistake as Blockbuster, and it’s the main reason so many studios have been shuttered in the past decade. Listen now to learn more about staying on your toes and recognizing when you need to pivot to keep your business afloat!

You always hear us preaching about “finding a niche to dominate”, but you just can’t seem to get traction anywhere. Why do some people naturally find a niche while others are stuck in a perpetual state of being a generalist? In this episode, we dig into 6 common mistakes that hold people back from dominating their niche.

“HUSTLE OR DIE”. That’s the message you hear from so many business gurus. Your to-do list seems to grow exponentially the more education you consume. It can be overwhelming, exhausting, and ultimately send you down the path of burnout. Instead of trying to do everything, you can simply focus on the minimum amount of work for that thing to be effective (i.e. no longer a bottleneck in your business). When your brain makes this switch, everything in your business gets so much easier.

In our latest poll, more than 65% of studios have seen their incomes decline due to the pandemic. Instead of diving into the obvious reasons why studios are struggling, we thought it would be more beneficial to interview someone who’s having their best year ever. How have they set themselves up for success in 2020 while other studios are struggling? Listen now to learn how Jake has built his business from the ground up to not only survive, but thrive in this post-pandemic world.

This episode is for anyone feeling hopeless, aimless, and discouraged. Sometimes a simple pep talk from your friends and some practical steps can be all it takes to get yourself out of a funk. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself and giving into the victim mentality, it’s time to step up and take charge of your life… despite the crazy shit going on in the world.

One of the biggest keys to a successful freelance career has always been building relationships. The problem is that most audio engineers tend to be cave-dwelling troglodytes who go days without direct contact to sunlight. This problem has only gotten worse now that social distancing is the new normal. How can we build relationships if we can’t be around clients and friends? The good news is there are ways to build and maintain relationships with your ideal clients without leaving your audio cave

Last week we talked about essentials for your marketing plan. I mentioned eight things many people skip – before they complain that their efforts failed. Today you’ll learn about the 2nd half of my 20-point marketing plan, but you should only listen to this episode after you listened to the first part, episode 142: The Ultimate Guide To Creating Your Marketing Plan: Part 1 Listen now to learn more about growing your business by harnessing the power of friends, family, and yes, even cold marketi

When I talk to most people about their marketing plan, I hear stuff like this constantly... “I’m going to focus on networking as much as possible.” “I’m going to start reaching out to musicians on Instagram.” “I’m launching a podcast.” The majority of people who tell me these things come back to me with nothing to show for it. There’s a LOT more that goes into a successful marketing plan. This episode is my attempt to give you a full look into what goes into a top-down appro

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen threads in forums and groups devolve into chaos over one topic: free work. Some say you should always do free work. Others say you should never work without pay. The reality is, free work has no absolutes to it. Sometimes it’s a benefit for your business, while at other times it’s a detriment. The key is learning how to recognize when doing free work is good and when it isn’t. Listen now to learn how free work could fit into your audio bus

With unprecedented amounts of businesses shutting down worldwide, it’s time for us to talk about business basics. For a business to make it through tough times, they have to have to understand cash flow. Failing to understand why this is important, or how to have a positive cash flow, will result in an unstable business. Listen now to find out how you can adjust your business practices to ensure you have a positive cash flow to keep your heads above water in 2020 and beyond!

“What should I name my studio? Should it be my personal name or should I pick another name?” People ask me questions like this at least twice per month I’ve answered it dozens of times on group coaching calls inside The Profitable Producer Course, and this episode is my attempt at never having to answer this question again. I have four requirements for naming any business. As long as you follow these rules, you’ll be good to go.

Too many audio engineers start off by offering cheap services and are then shocked when their clients leave as they raise prices. Others are so inundated with work that they can’t keep up but are unable to outsource what they need to keep the business running smoothly. Do either of those sound like you? Listen now to learn how to ensure that your business is on the correct track so you don’t have to do mixes for $50 a pop, or deal with headache clients because they’re your only high-paying cl

Think fast: Can you tell me what your business provides in 20 seconds or less without fumbling your words or pausing to think? If not, how do you think you come across to the person you just met if you can’t clearly articulate what it is that you do? You have to be able to help your client see how you are the bridge between where they are now and where they want to be. Listen now to learn how you can DeFuck your marketing and finally get clients to understand the value you bring to their lives.

Online mixing is a red ocean. Thousands of studio owners are now trying to compete for the same pool of clients online, and only the strongest survive. By creating a business that operates in a blue ocean, you can worry more about providing an amazing experience and less about how to “market” your way to success. Listen now to find out how you can harness the power of The Motown Model to grow your business in a blue ocean market!

Every single industry sees the cycle of Life, Death, and Rebirth. Ours is no exception. We’ve been in a cycle of death since 2008, and have slowly been shifting to the cycle of Rebirth in the form of home studios. COVID has sped up the inevitable end of the old-school recording industry, and business will never look the same again. Listen now to hear our discussion about Life, Death, and Rebirth in our recording industry, and how to make sure you’re still around to be a part of the next cycle

If you’re constantly struggling to find more clients, there’s more to marketing your studio than simply “getting the word out” about your business. Do your leads know you? Do they trust you? Do they like you? If not, this is a major problem that you need to solve. Listen now to find out how you can use go-giver marketing to jumpstart a relationship with fresh leads to help grow your business!

Mastering is a dark art that the average person has no idea how to comprehend. Because of this, it can be a struggle to build a thriving, steady, sustainable mastering business. How do you stand out from the crowd as things get more and more crowded? How do you get clients to give you a chance? How can you get your first handful of clients? Listen now to learn from how Chris Graham grew his mastering studio to six figures.

You have a solid website, a badass portfolio, and people are starting to show more and more interest in hiring you. Now you need to turn those leads into clients. If you want to start closing sales like a badass, make sure you have five key systems in place to make this easier… even if you suck at “selling yourself”. Listen now to learn what these systems are and how you can implement them to give your business the boost it needs!

Whether you’re relying on word-of-mouth, cold outreach, organic social media, or paid advertising, the way you set up your Instagram profile can make or break your efforts. That’s why this week we brought on Brandon Brown of Media Whisper to share his expertise about all things Instagram. Listen now to find out how to set up a social media presence that helps you pre-sell clients before they’ve even contacted you.

Out of sheer curiosity, I checked the Facebook Ads platform to see how much I’ve spent on advertising so far. $254,336.67 This has all been done with a 2.65x return on ad spend (i.e. I make $2.65 for every $1 spent). The result is that all of my businesses have benefited from what I’ve learned during this journey. In this episode, I want to talk you through what I learned, how it applies to your studio, and what you can do to start unf*cking your marketing funnel.

Right now struggling studio owners have two choices: Choice A: You can stick your head in the sand, complain about the end of the world, and wait around for months until this is all over. Choice B: You can take action to turn things around by understanding that just because things are bad for some people (let’s be real, many people), doesn’t mean that you can’t get clients! Mark Eckert is kicking ass in the indie-pop world. Listen now to find out how you can do the same for your business

I’ve seen businesses in similar niches, with similar resources at their disposal, and similar family lives who are in completely different places only 1 month into this quarantine. One is falling apart. The other lost all of their upcoming projects, but they’ve decided to pivot their business to something they can still do remotely. Why is there such a big difference between these people? It all comes down to mindset. Nothing else matters if your mindset is fucked.

Now, more than ever, many studio owners have an abundance of free time on their hands. What you do with that free time is going to separate the winners from the losers when this is all over. Which side do you want to be on? Listen now to learn 5 things you can work on today to make sure your studio is ready for the onslaught of customers tomorrow!

The audio industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis. Studios around the world have had their bookings wiped out, and everyone’s scrambling to adapt. So, what can we do to make it through this crisis and come out of it stronger than we were before? With no slowdown in sight for COVID-19, there is still a light at the end of the tunnel that we need to keep moving toward. Listen now to find how you can adapt your business so that you make it through this crisis as strong as ever.

This virus isn’t going away soon. As things continue, reality becomes bleaker and bleaker. But it doesn’t have to mean the end of your business! Joe Wadsworth's business has over 30 audio engineers and producers on staff, and he’s in the process of hiring more simply because he can’t keep up with the amount of work coming in. Listen now to find out what sets Joe’s business apart from all the other recording studios who are struggling right now so you can make it through this crisis.

The audio industry has always been one to change quickly due to advances in technology, however, this is the first time we’ve ever been forced to rapidly adapt due to a virus. Fortunately, you can create a business that will not only put food on the table for you and your family, but also let you continue working from home until the COVID chaos dies down. Listen now to find out how you can build a business that will let you survive the coming months without having an existential crisis.

This isn’t a bullshit clickbait episode title. We ALL do these two things, and they’re potentially wrecking our businesses, personal lives, and relationships. This first step to recovery is understanding what these two things are. The second step is admitting that you do these things. Listen now to find out what these two things are, how they affect your lives, and what you can do to stop.

Listen now to find out how you can earn more per hour, increase your productive time, and start growing your business to new heights.

Listen now to find out how you can create high-class proposals and drive your leads to become clients without spending an arm and a leg.

If you have questions about running your business, you aren’t alone. Even experts strive to improve by constantly investing in their education. To answer some questions you might have, we’ve collected questions from the Group Coaching Calls asked within the Profitable Producer Course community and are presenting them here for you. Listen now and think about what applies to you so you can use the things you should use, but don’t jump into anything that wouldn't be worth it for your specific busin

Whether it’s because of social anxiety, awkwardness, or stubbornness, audio engineers tend to play the lone wolf. We’d rather sit in our dungeons and mix than actually speak to another human. What if I told you that being a social troglodyte isn’t the fastest or most-effective way to move your business forward? John Ruben is a fantastic example of what you can do when you surround yourself with incredible people. Listen now to learn how John went from rapping to selling a company to Disney

It seems like you’re working every waking hour of every damn day, but your income hasn’t budged. As a matter of fact, your income has been stagnant for the past 3 years. What the hell do you do to fix this? Welcome to Jim Stewart’s life 12 months ago. He was in this position – trying to figure out what the hell he could do to get himself out of a three-year rut. Listen now to find out how Jim doubled his income in 1 year.

Do you struggle with niching down and finding what you’re “made” to do? Maybe it’s just you being a stubborn engineer personality… Some of the most popular businesses in the world almost failed but because they were willing to pivot and focus on a new ideal customer they’ve become massive successes. Listen now to hear Chris Graham and Andy J. Pizza of Creative Pep Talk discuss finding what you’re born to do!

As an engineer in a small town, sometimes you just hit a wall… You’ve worked with everyone, and even with repeat clients, you can’t earn more money in your current situation. So what do you do? Move halfway across the country and start giving donuts to people working at music studios… You may just end up getting a Grammy nomination and working with Kanye West. Listen now to find out how you can follow in the footsteps of Jesse Ray!

Do you have problems talking to your clients? Do leads (potential clients) balk during negotiation, costing you the deal? By asking questions you can lead your clients and leads gently to the conclusion that you want them to find so they don’t get defensive or feel threatened. Questions also let you solve their problems more easily because you know exactly what they’re trying to accomplish with their music. Listen now to find out how you can improve your business by asking the right question

Are you stuck in a dead-end, draining, stressful job with bad hours that you just want to quit? Is the only thing stopping you from leaving that job to pursue audio the fact that you need the money? Chances are, it might be easier than you think to swim in a blue ocean instead of drowning in the red ocean. Listen now to find out four different ways Chris and Brian would start a successful audio business if they were starting from scratch in 2020!

Can you feel the rising tide? The world of online mixing is becoming more and more saturated with engineers who all do the same thing. Are you one of those engineers, drowning in the masses? Listen now to find out how you can set yourself apart from everyone else so you can be in a blue ocean by yourself rather than the red ocean filled with sharks.

Have you been waiting for some magical moment to raise your rates? Maybe you think you need a Grammy before you’ll be able to charge more, but the reality is, you may be ready NOW. Every day that you put this off is a day that you’re missing out on earning more, weeding out bad clients, and achieving a better work/life balance. It can be scary, but if you follow the advice we share here, you may be pleasantly surprised. In fact, it could be the best thing you’ve ever done for your bu

You’ve hit a wall… You just aren’t getting enough clients… There’s only a small trickle of people coming through your door… Marketing sounds like a great idea, right? Think again! Marketing a subpar product will result in a subpar response. Even if you’re an amazing engineer, chances are there’s something you can improve in your business so you can earn more money in an efficient manner, without jumping straight to marketing. Listen now to hear how you can improve your business s

Most audio engineers are prone to having the personality of a technician. Cold, ego-filled, and always right, we have a reputation of being difficult to work with. To be a successful business-owner, technicians need to learn how to balance their personalities can all co-exist with the inner artist. Learn how you can successfully pacify each of your conflicting personality traits to run your business while making friends and keeping clients happy by listening now!

When your business hits a plateau and your income has stagnated (or worse, decreased) it can be a stressful, terrifying time. Let’s fix that – find out 5 reasons for plateaus in your business, and how you can solve the problem so you can continue growing your business!

You hustle and grind–day in and day out… You work so much that you often forget to eat, or worse, your meals consist of potato chips and soda. That’s just how life is, right? By neglecting yourself you are digging a hole… deeper and deeper and deeper. It’s time to take a step back, reset your focus, and take care of THE most important part of running your business… you. But what exactly is self-care? Learn how the right balance of stress+rest can be rocket fuel for your studi

In 2012, I had my first nightmare client when it came to revision requests. I was mixing 5 songs for a band, and it turned into one of the worst projects of my life. I had entered Revision Hell. If you’ve never experienced anything like this, I envy you. It’s only a matter of time before you experience a project like this. The good thing is that it forced me to re-evaluate how I handled the revision process... Today, we’re going to discuss how to keep this from ever happening to

As an audio engineer, you probably think in a very specific way… Along the lines of “this is what I do, and this is how I do it.” But what if a client expected you to do a little something different? That’s what happened to Brandon Rike, a merch designer turned creative director when Twenty One Pilots expected him to do all of their graphics work. Now, Brandon consistently works with some of the biggest names in music... Listen now to find out how Brandon built a great business.

Are you sick and tired of chasing leads to get more work? Do you come across songs you worked on a year ago only to see it has 5 million streams… and you weren’t credited? For some, passive referrals are a huge potential source of leads… Are you one of the many audio entrepreneurs missing out on tons of potential clients? Find out how to start getting more passive leads today!

Seth Mosley’s audio career can be considered “successful” in every sense of the word. His accolades include a Grammy Award, 25 number one singles, Producer Of The Year from Billboard Magazine, as well as Songwriter of the Year Awards from SESAC and The GMA Dove Awards. Listen to this week’s episode to find out how Seth went from recording friends in his parents' basement in Circleville, Ohio, to building a seven-figure audio business without any formal training.

Do you struggle with remembering the lessons you learned from books, videos, and lectures in the past year? What about the last few months, or even days? What good is self-education if you can’t actually recall what you learn? Ready to find a better learning method that really does work? Find out how you can retain more of the content you take in by listening to this week’s episode!

Have you struggled with having a steady stream of incoming leads for your studio? You’ve thought about starting a podcast… but failed to take action because “it’s just so over-saturated already.” Wrong. The industry is just getting started. If you can jump on this content bandwagon now, you’ll be setting your business up for success in your niche over the next 5+ years. Take a listen to this episode and find out how and why you should start a podcast!

Most audio engineers think of themselves as the hero who can solve all of a band’s problems. The “all-knowing mighty source of knowledge” to the lowly pleb musician. If that’s you, you’re doing it wrong. As a producer/engineer/whatever, you’re better off playing the role of the guide, while understanding that your client is the hero. If you can adjust your business to become the guide who helps your clients along their journey, you’ll be adding more value to your relationships with