5 Ways To Give Yourself A Raise Today

Brian Hood (0:00)

This is the 6 Figure Creative Podcast, Episode 192

Welcome to the 6 Figure Creative Podcast, where our mission is to help you turn your creative passions into a stable, reliable income. If you're in audio, video, design, photography, or really any other creative field, and you just want to learn from other successful creatives, you're in the right place. Welcome back to another episode of the 6 Figure Creative Podcast. I am your host, Brian Hood. I'm here with my, now you've got a creepy mustache, co-host.

Mark Eckert (0:29)

Brian, baby, talk to me. Brian, baby, talk to me.

Brian Hood (0:32)

Mark Eckert is back. Hey, dude, it's good to have you back on the podcast. You're always a hoot.

Mark Eckert (0:37)

Sexy as ever. I grew more hair.

Things are going great for me. Just so you know, my life's perfect. It's awesome. So thanks for asking. Yeah, right.

Brian Hood (0:44)

I know just talking to you before, before we start recording that that is inaccurate.

Mark Eckert (0:49)

It's going awesome, dude.

Brian Hood (0:51)

I have a new sexy voice, speaking of sexy, and I know what everyone can tell. It's like.

Mark Eckert (0:55)

All right, wait, let me cut you off.

Okay, so when Brian first called, I was like, you look great. You've lost weight. Why do you sound like Rod Stewart?

And here he is. He's a little raspy. He's Bad Boy Bride. Hairy host Mark and Bad Boy Bride hitting it with an episode for 6 Figure Creative. What's good? Talk to me.

Brian Hood (1:14)

Yes. So this episode is going to be a good one today. So let's actually get to the meat and the meat and potato. So this episode came to me on a walk the other day, and I was like, I really want to talk about this.

And I know you know this topic like the back of your hand because you're like a lifelong entrepreneur. Like how long have you been essentially self-employed?

Mark Eckert (1:34)

I've never had an actual job.

Brian Hood (1:36)

Really?

Mark Eckert (1:37)

Okay, so how old are you? 27

Brian Hood (1:40)

27 times 365 You are 9,855 days unemployed.

Mark Eckert (1:46)

Going on 65, dude. I feel like it. Oh my God.

Brian Hood (1:50)

Dude, you'll hit 10K days unemployed this year. I'm about to hit 5K in a couple of months, yeah.

Mark Eckert (1:57)

Interesting. Okay, I'm cool with that.

Brian Hood (1:59)

You need to put it on your... I have my 5K day on my calendar just to celebrate. You need to have your 10K day on your calendar.

Mark Eckert (2:05)

You know what's funny? The first dollar I ever made... I mean, aside mowing my lawn, oh my God, mom and dad, I still have no idea how they... Okay, so I guess if you... Well, no, I was self-employed. I had some leverage. The HOA was gonna get pissed off.

But anyways, my first real dollar ever made was playing with a band.

Awful metal band. One of the worst things I've ever been a part of. But when you're younger, it's just like, I wanna get out.

Brian Hood (2:31)

Young metal bands are always garbage.

Mark Eckert (2:33)

Dude, it's skinny jeans and insecurities for sure. It's awesome.

Wait a second.

Anyways, we showed up, and we thought it was gonna be a cool hip venue. And we showed up. Bro, it's a smoothie shop. We played a smoothie shop. We got paid $5, and everyone left to go hang out with their girlfriends. Here I am, dweeb, picking up my drums, like everything. I take the five bucks, and I'm like, I'm a professional now. That's it, baby.

Brian Hood (3:02)

And you went and bought a smoothie and blew it all.

Mark Eckert (3:05)

Oh, yeah, honestly, terrible smoothie. They've gone under since that smoothie shop.

Brian Hood (3:09)

And you're still here alive and kicking, which is the whole point of bringing you on the show.

Mark Eckert (3:12)

I'm alive and kicking. I am more beautiful, making more cash than ever in my whole life, dude.

Brian Hood (3:17)

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh.

Mark Eckert (3:20)

Guys, it's always a hustle. It just, you get new hustles as you grow.

That's it, so.

Brian Hood (3:25)

So the subject of today is basically giving yourself a raise.

As someone who's self-employed, whether you're a freelancer, you're a business owner, or owner of multiple businesses like both Mark and I, because we're both serial entrepreneurs with ADHD and we can't stop at one, the beautiful thing about what we have is that we can give ourselves a raise pretty much anytime we want one, if we're willing to put in the work. And this is a really interesting thought to think about because if you have a day job, if you want to raise, you've got to kick ass and kiss ass for a long time before you get a raise. If you ever do, you have a gatekeeper sitting there who determines whether or not you get a raise.