Hi Reader,
In a few hours, Kadie's hosting a free live group coaching experience in the Club to help y'all learn how to effectively discuss pricing with our clients, with most of the session focused on answering your questions!
But since we've got some time to kill before that starts @ 11am Eastern, I wanted to share one of my uncomfortable conversations about money during a discovery call.
I've actually had a handful of these conversations over the last 10 years, and yes, some went better than others, but I'm thinking back to this one because it was the first time I felt really confident having the awkward conversation.
This person filled out my inquiry form, booked a discovery call immediately after getting the follow-up email, and I showed up for the call. Easy peasy!
On that call, we discussed her potential project and then I gave her a ballpark/rough estimate & that I'd review everything in detail & send a final proposal to her later that day.
But she literally said, "That's not in my budget..."
😳😒
To be frank, my first thoughts were various forms of irritation. 😂 Because the prices were listed by the service she selected in the inquiry form, and my estimate wasn't far off from the one she selected, so there's no way she wasn't expected at least that much before she booked the call.
My next thought was, 'oh well! That gives me time to do X, Y, Z, instead.' 🤭
But then I told her something like, 'That's okay! If you're not ready for a custom website build yet, I can point you toward some reputable template shops to pick something as a starting point, and then we could book a one-day service when you're ready, to do some targeted customization on that template, if that feels like a better fit for you. That would be just $X,XXX, and it includes up to X hours of work time that day, plus a week of email support afterward in case you have questions, and an optional training session call if you need to book it within your support week.'
She ended up booking the Design Day instead, because she couldn't do the full build price yet. I negotiated down to work with her, but I didn't keep the original service at a negotiated rate, we changed the service (the value) based on what her budget would allow, without devaluing the work I do by steeply discounting it.
That worked really well for her, it didn't make her feel pressured to spend money she didn't have, and I didn't feel slimy trying to force her to book something that wasn't affordable . (And yes, that website is still live today!) #worthit
That shift, from fumbling through the value conversation to actually owning it, is what Kadie is helping us unlock in today's live session!
Honestly though, a lot of the time, the “my clients don’t get branding” problem isn’t really about our client.
It’s about OUR fears underneath the excuses, like:
“What if I pitch this confidently, they say yes, & then I have to deliver something that matches what I just promised?”
That fear is real, and valid! It’s also one of the most common things holding talented designers back from pricing where they belong, because they don't feel "ready" yet, or are still afraid they're not good enough to provide the promised result.
Today’s session with Kadie & I will help you work through all of it together, to give you different ways to handle this discussion & own the value, with Kadie guiding the conversation.
Our goal is to help you learn to close the gap between what you know you deliver,
and what your clients can feel before they buy. 👇🏼
'Why does branding cost so much?'
A live group coaching experience on positioning the value of Brand Design
Guest Host: Kadie Smith, Drop Cap Design
April 14, 2026
11am - 12:30pm Eastern
Free for everyone to join
Bring your questions!
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One hour today could change how you have these conversations for years to come PLUS Kadie's really kind and fun to hang out with, so if you bring your real-world questions, we promise not to judge & give you a safe space to ask!
Not to mention, this kind of personalized input from an experienced pro usually costs $$$, ––so I hope to see you there taking advantage of the free coaching! 🤭
See ya there!
P.S. This is the last reminder — if you haven’t grabbed your seat yet, make sure you do it now. ✨
