Real talk: I have given the stages of a design career a TON of thought. Like, holed up in my home office, journal and pens, instrumental music playing kind of thought. Because here’s the thing… I’ve been at various stages of business, and once you start doing things better and legit loving your life, it’s easy to forget where you started. To forget how impossibly hard those early days felt.
But I don’t want to forget. I want to remember. I want to show you the way if you need it. I want to do for you what so many others have done for me: help you create the profitable, life-giving design career you dream of.
So, after much reflection, deep-diving into my journal, and yes, coffee, I’ve narrowed down a design career into two stages: the Executor Designer and the Creator Designer. Which one are you?
The Executor Designer
The Executor Designer has mad skills. If you are this designer, you might be working with clients on the regular, but it isn’t a walk down Easy Street. Clients often steamroll the project, don’t trust your creative vision, or they want total creative control. In fact, they might not see the value in your creativity at all. For these clients, design is a means to an end, leaving your creativity (and maybe some of your self-respect) stifled.
However, the Executor Designer could also be the designer who is working for someone else, banging out white label designs and making other people look good AF. You invest your creative talents into other people’s projects, but this kind of creative work gets exhausting. You long for the freedom to make creative decisions and be known for your work.
In both of these cases, the Executor Designer executes the design, but you don’t really feel in control of your creativity, your projects, or your salary.
The Creator Designer
The Creator Designer is less about the execution and more about the vision. This designer is a respected artist. If you are this designer, you regularly work with dream clients on projects you love. You attract clients who love your work and trust your vision, so much so that they give you complete creative freedom.
You also design from a place of passionate inspiration. Because of this, no one creates work like yours. You are a master at communicating your value and designing work that has a 10x return for your clients. Your pricing reflects that, and there’s no limit to your creativity, or your earning potential.
This designer creates their own unique work, their lifestyle, and their income. And it feels awesome.
How do you shift from Executor to Creator?
Up until a couple years ago, I was the Executor Designer, struggling with all the things I mentioned above. When I made several changes in my business and shifted to being a Creator Designer, my whole world changed. That’s not an exaggeration. Literally, my world.
I became more passionate about my work. Interactions with clients started giving me energy instead of taking it away. I started dramatically raising my prices, feeling shocked (at first) that people were paying them, and raised my rates even further. Honestly, I’m still raising them. I believe that every new project should be better than the last.
When I’m not working, I’m happier, too. Not only because I feel fulfilled in my career, but because I’m making a real, livable salary, too. My husband and I bought a house, and he quit his job to pursue what he loves. I started another business for fun. We take trips. I even took off almost the entire month of December, without taking a pay cut. (Read that again.)
When I first started as a self-taught designer, I never believed these things were possible. Now, I’m in control of my life, and I’ve never been happier. My business and life might look very different from yours, and that’s okay. That’s great, even! You do you. But my main point is…
With a few simple shifts, YOU can be in control of your work, business, and life, too. I want that for you, so much so that I am sharing exactly how I created my success, so that you can too.
My 6-Figure Design Business Masterclass
When I started mentoring other designers, I noticed that everything I used to transition from Executor to Creator could be boiled down to 3 simple shifts. And no, these aren’t abstract shifts, like “raise your prices.”
These are cut-and-dry, put-into-action-and-see-results-immediately shifts.
In addition to helping you become the Creator Designer I know you’re capable of, these 3 simple shifts will help you:
- Stand out in the over-saturated sea of designers
- Book dream clients who trust you (seriously, gone are the days of working with low-budget, micromanaging clients and 50 rounds of revisions)
- Start making money as a designer WITHOUT booking a single client
- Sell your services, quote high prices + convince potential clients of your value
- Discover the fastest way to build a profitable design business (that’s set-up to scale to 6 figures)
- Learn the #1 thing you should put into place BEFORE booking clients
Only once or twice per year, I host this Masterclass LIVE, and it is an experience you won’t want to miss. It’s always full of immediate takeaways, but attending live is… there’s no other word for it… FUN. It will motivate and inspire you like you’ve never been inspired before.
If you feel like you can’t stay an Executor Designer for another minute… If you feel like you’re on the edge of greatness and you just need a push in the right direction… If you believe that you deserve to make money doing what you love (you do)… Join me.
Get Instant Access to My Free 6-Figure Designer Training
Lastly, to really succeed, you have to clearly understand where you are right now and believe in where you are going. And I can tell you from experience, it is sooo hard to know what is possible without seeing someone else doing it first.
I’ve had mentors and coaches and people I’ve looked up to. I still do. If I can be that person for you, someone to show you what’s possible and give you a real look at how I did it, I would love to. Because I remember how hard it was.
I remember the long days. Feeling undervalued and underpaid. Wondering if I should just give up and “get a real job” with some financial stability. If that’s how you feel right now, I see you. Truly. Don’t give up! My 6-Figure Designer Masterclass will help you make the right changes to love your life again.
Watch the free training here, and don’t miss this chance.
I can’t wait to see you there.
xx,
Ariel
