Please Read Before You Take on Another Client (Deals Over Clients)
Become a Paycheck to Partners (instead of a cost to Clients)
Got a DM last week.
Guy sounded exactly like me 11 years ago.
"Tony, I'm killing it," he said. "Clients love me. Got a waitlist. Charging premium rates.
But I'm working 70-hour weeks and can't break through to the next level."
Sound familiar?
Screw the next level…
What about actually having some time to enjoy life.
...
Here's the thing.
I used to think the answer was more clients.
Dead wrong.
Back when I was running my coaching & mentoring business?
I had 14 clients at one time.
All paying me $5k each.
Do the math.
That's $70k a month.
Good money, right?
But here's what blindsided me...
Many of them launched offers at the same time.
I was spread paper thin.
Working nights.
Working weekends.
Living on coffee and stress.
And the worst part?
As soon as one client dropped off?
Which they ALWAYS do…
I needed to replace them immediately to keep up the income level I was chasing.
It was completely unsustainable.
But I didn't see the real problem yet...
The Brutal Mathematics of Client Work
Here's the truth about the client model:
Monthly income is capped.
Hours folks can work multiplied by what they can charge.
That's it.
Even at premium rates.
Even with a waitlist.
Even when they say they're "killing it."
Let's say someone is charging $250/hour.
With 40 billable hours a week, that's $10k a week.
About $500k a year.
But that's IF they never take vacation.
IF you never get sick.
IF every single hour is billable.
We both know that ain't realistic.
Between admin work... sales calls... revisions...
And just being human.
Someone’s actual earning potential?
Probably half that.
At best.
The REAL Problem (No one sees)
But there's something worse than the time-for-money trap.
WAY worse.
In the client model, freelancers don't control the flow of money.
The client does.
They decide when they choose to start.
When to pay.
When to end the relationship.
And most importantly...
They control the direct relationship with their END customer.
Which means they control the revenue stream.
Truth is?
Most freelance copywriters, agency owners, and online markters?
They’re standing at the end of a money pipeline.
Hoping they keep the tap flowing their way.
I’ve seen folks learn this the hard way.
One of their biggest clients, representing 40% of their revenue, decides to "go in a different direction."
Not even 30 days' notice.
Despite all the results that were generated.
Despite the relationship they thought they'd built.
The client controlled the flow.
They turned off the tap.
Just like that.
Done.
The Flow Reversal That Changes EVERYTHING
Here's what I wish someone had slapped me upside the head with when I was juggling those 14 clients:
The ONLY way to break through the invisible ceiling is to stop trading time for money.
And start controlling the flow.
Think about it like this...
In client work, you're like a talented employee.
You do great work.
You get paid well.
But you're still dependent on someone else's business for your income.
In partnership deals?
You're the chooser.
YOU control key parts of the revenue generation process.
Take David.
Using what I call the "Flow Reversal Strategy," he restructured his relationship with a partner.
Instead of charging a $5k fee?
He positioned himself as a partner.
He controlled the flow of the leads once they came in.
He controlled the Gmail account where they showed up.
He controlled the back & forth conversations.
And he controlled the sales.
Result?
His first test campaign with a partner was $130k.
But more importantly...
He now controlled the flow of money.
If for some reason the partner started acting wonky?
David owned the valve on the money tap.
Like the data.
And the customer journey.
He could just “turn it off…”
David controlled the flow…
Funny thing is?
David lives in Spain.
And English is his SECOND language.
The Control Points That Actually Matter
Here's what most service providers miss:
In client work, they control just ONE point.
The delivery of their service.
That's it.
In partnership deals?
We can control multiple points:
Lead generation
Customer acquisition
Payment processing
Product delivery
Upsells and cross-sells
Each control point you own increases your value.
AND your income potential.
More importantly?
It gives you leverage and security that simply doesn't exist in the traditional client model.
So What's This Mean for You?
If you're hitting your own invisible ceiling, here's where to start:
Map the flow of money in your current business relationships.
Ask yourself:
Where does it come from?
Where does it go?
Who controls each step?
Your expertise is too valuable to be capped by the hours in your day.
You deserve to get paid a percentage for the results you create.
Not how many emails you write.
Or the number of leads you generate with an ad.
If you want the entire battle plan for becoming a Paycheck to partners?
Instead of a cost to clients?
Deals Over Clients is launching June 17th (next Tuesday)
Jump on the early bird list…
Grab your copy.
Live Free.
Talk soon,
Tony
P.S. When you grab your copy of Deals Over Clients you get access to the Deals Over Clients community, in depth video case studies, and even the Deal Makers Toolkit for getting your first deal under your belt.