On May 18th, my good friend Zander Howard-Scott invited me to speak to a group of entrepreneurs at his Creative Sovereignty event in Montreal.

Today, I’m excited to share the replay of one of two talks I gave at the event.

In this talk, I cover:

• How “Work-Life Integration” leveled up my business (and life)
• Exactly how my $500k/year design business worked
• Why I kept my recovery journey a secret for 14 years
• The 4 things I needed to do to integrate my life and business
• The difference between using 0% and 1% of your brain
• The 3 tools I use to maintain awareness in my business

The whole event was incredible and I hope you enjoy the talk as much as I enjoyed giving it.

Some context about the event & my buddy Zander:
Zander (@zander_hs) is a pro musician and entrepreneur. His company, Creative Sovereignty, helps artists and creative professionals understand the value of their work and act accordingly.

He also hosts a free Zoom call for artists and creative pros every Thursday at 12 pm EST inside his Skool community:
👉 https://www.skool.com/creativesoverei...

I’ll be sharing my second talk, “The Success Thermostat,” in the coming weeks.

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🛠️ 6-Figure Solopreneur Systems (FREE COURSE)
Steal the exact systems I use to run TWO multi-six-figure solo businesses in under 20 hours a week.
https://startbuildingsystems.com/

📬 ​Work Less Wednesday (FREE NEWSLETTER)​
My weekly email. What I’m learning, doing, and thinking about. 30k+ readers.
https://www.worklesswednesday.com

🏖 ​How To Work Less​ (PAID COURSE)
From 2012-2023, I built a design agency that made me $500k/year, working 10 hours a week. HTWL teaches you how to do it for your biz. (350+ past students. 5 stars)
https://www.learn.howtoworkless.com

🧪 ​Work Closely With Me​ (MENTORSHIP)
I advise and mentor 6-7 figure Creative Solopreneurs. If you want to work closely with me (i.e. we speak 1-2 times a week), ​watch this video, then let's talk​:
https://richwebster.notion.site/labjune

Instagram: / richwebz
Threads: https://threads.net/richwebz
Twitter: / richwebz
YouTube: @richwebz

Most solopreneurs hit a wall around $100K. In this Episode, I’ll explain why.

I will walk you through the two business models every solopreneur eventually has to pick between:
1. Expert Business: Scale with PRICE (high-value, deep expertise)
2. Marketing Business: Scale with SYSTEMS (zero fulfillment, all marketing)

Here’s what I cover:

• What they each are
• Exactly how each makes money
• What skills you would need to implement them
• How you get clients with each model
• What real life examples of these businesses look like

You’ll learn:

• The hidden bottleneck keeping you stuck at $100K
• The difference between scaling with price vs scaling with systems
• The real reason you're exhausted (hint: you're running a job, not a business)
• The dangerous trap of “generalist energy”
• How to make your business feel lighter instead of heavier
• The model that took me to $500K+ with zero team

If you're a freelancer, consultant, or creator trying to break past six figures without building a massive business, this one’s for you.

When you’re ready, here are 4 ways I can help you:

🛠️ 6-Figure Solopreneur Systems (FREE COURSE)
Steal the exact systems I use to run TWO multi-six-figure solo businesses in under 20 hours a week.
https://startbuildingsystems.com/

📬 ​Work Less Wednesday (FREE NEWSLETTER)​
My weekly email. What I’m learning, doing, and thinking about. 30k+ readers.
https://www.worklesswednesday.com

🏖 ​How To Work Less​ (PAID COURSE)
From 2012-2023, I built a design agency that made me $500k/year, working 10 hours a week. HTWL teaches you how to do it for your biz. (350+ past students. 5 stars)
https://www.learn.howtoworkless.com

🧪 ​Work Closely With Me​ (MENTORSHIP)
I advise and mentor 6-7 figure Creative Solopreneurs. If you want to work closely with me (i.e. we speak 1-2 times a week), ​watch this video, then let's talk​:
https://learn.howtoworkless.com/lab/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/richwebz

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@richwebz

Threads: https://threads.net/richwebz

Twitter: https://twitter.com/richwebz

What does a dead shark in a glass tank have to teach you about pricing, branding, and human behavior?

A lot, actually.

In this episode, I break down seven unexpected business lessons from the strange, status-obsessed world of high-end contemporary art:

1. Brand = Price.
   Why unknown artists starve while branded ones sell red splotches for millions. And how to use the same principle to raise your rates.
2. High Price Creates Value.
   The shark wasn’t valuable so it was expensive. It became valuable because it was expensive. Yes, it’s weird. And yes, you can use this.
3. Value by Association.
   How hanging your work next to someone prestigious (literally or metaphorically) triples its perceived worth. Most people never think to do this.
4. The Agent Gap.
   If someone else sold your work, they’d charge more. So why aren’t you? Here’s how to become your own hype man - and get paid accordingly.
5. Network is a Cheat Code.
   Contemporary art runs on relationships. So does business. Your next opportunity probably isn’t on your to-do list, it’s in your texts.
6. Scarcity is a Power Tool.
   One-of-one art pieces command outrageous prices. Your time is just as limited. Are you pricing accordingly?
7. People Who Pay, Pay Attention.
   When collectors gave their art away, it got shelved. When they sold it, it got hung on the wall. Same with your clients. Charging more = more buy-in.

This episode isn’t really about art. It’s about leverage. And how to build a business that feels more like a masterpiece—and less like mass production.

When you’re ready, here are 4 ways I can help you:

🛠️ 6-Figure Solopreneur Systems (FREE COURSE)
Steal the exact systems I use to run TWO multi-six-figure solo businesses in under 20 hours a week.
https://startbuildingsystems.com/

📬 ​Work Less Wednesday (NEWSLETTER)​
My weekly email. What I’m learning, doing, and thinking about. 30k readers.
https://www.worklesswednesday.com

🏖 ​How To Work Less​ (PAID COURSE)
From 2012-2023, I built a design agency that made me $500k/year, working 10 hours a week. HTWL teaches you how to do it. (350+ past students. 5 stars)
https://www.learn.howtoworkless.com

🧪 ​Work Closely With Me​ (MENTORSHIP)
I advise and mentor 6-7 figure Creative Solopreneurs. If you want to work closely with me (i.e. we speak 1-2 times a week), ​watch this video, then let's talk​:
https://learn.howtoworkless.com/lab/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/richwebz

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@richwebz

Threads: https://threads.net/richwebz

Twitter: https://twitter.com/richwebz