Projects Shouldn't Be Your Only Income Source
Resources Mentioned:
The Agency Accelerator: https://jenerationacademy.com/the-agency-accelerator
The Pitch Lab: https://thepitchlab.jenerationacademy.com/
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Think project work is the only way to land big-name clients and grow your agency? Think again.
In this episode, I’m sharing the behind-the-scenes of a conversation I had with a successful agency owner who built her entire business on multi-year, high-budget projects—and is now totally burnt out. We’re talking client concentration, constant scoping, being the one leading every single thing, and turning away work that doesn’t fit the rigid project mold.
This model might look successful from the outside, but it’s exhausting, unpredictable, and not scalable.
We’ll dive into:
- Why you need to stop charging hourly (seriously, stop)
- The real reason projects can kill your momentum
- How to start planting the seed for ongoing retainer support
- What to include (and avoid) in a value-based retainer
If you’ve ever felt like you’re stuck reinventing the wheel with every new client, this episode will show you a better way. Retainers aren’t just a smarter pricing strategy... they’re the path to more sustainability, more impact, and a whole lot less stress.
Tune in and let’s get you off the project hamster wheel.
This episode is for you if:
- You're feeling burnt out from managing multiple large projects.
- You want to learn how to convert project-based clients into retainer clients.
- You’re struggling with unpredictable income from high-value clients.
- You’re ready to discover new ways to provide ongoing value to your clients.
What I Cover:
00:00 The Challenges of Project-Based Work
04:56 Transitioning to a Retainer Model
11:24 Building Momentum with Retainers
19:53 Value-Based Pricing for Retainers
