S3 Ep. 178 Time Trap: Charging By the Hour

Hey there, welcome back to Designed for the Creative Mind! Today we’re diving into a topic that hits way too close to home for so many designers — the dreaded “time trap”. Yep, I’m talking about hourly billing and the never-ending stress of tracking every bathroom break like you're auditioning for TaskRabbit.

If you've ever stayed up late trying to remember how long that third round of tile edits took… this episode is for you.

What we’re talking about in this episode:

• Why charging by the hour feels “responsible” but wrecks your profits (and sanity)

• How hourly pricing turns you into a technician instead of a trusted expert

• Why your efficiency should be rewarded, not penalized

• How to handle clients who want a minute-by-minute breakdown

• A real-life example of switching to a flat fee (and how it changed everything)

• How value-based pricing builds trust, boundaries, and breathing room for creativity

I’m walking you through my own journey of breaking free from hourly billing — the mistakes I made, the lessons I learned, and how I now coach other designers (like my client “Jess”) to make this shift with confidence.

Here’s the big takeaway:

Clients are paying for your genius, not your time. It’s time to stop selling hours and start selling transformation.

If you’re ready to ditch the time trap and step into your role as a creative professional (with pricing that reflects it), let’s chat. Book a call with me or my team and let’s get you out of hourly hell.

Remember — you're not alone. And you don’t have to stay stuck.

Until next time, keep rising — one decision at a time.

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